Max is rebranding again this summer - back to HBO Max

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Image: Warner Bros. Discovery

One of the most popular streaming apps is getting a rebrand - again - this summer. 

HBO Max name change

The backstory:

HBO began its launch in the ‘70s as Home Box Office, and was a pioneer in the pay-for-TV industry, delivering some of the most highly decorated and favored TV shows. 

As streaming took over, HBO’s apps like HBO Now and HBO Go became available. And in 2020, those apps transitioned into HBO Max, and after a merger, Warner Bros. Discovery then transitioned the app again to just Max in 2023, with a combination of HBO and Discovery+ content. 

What's next:

Warner Bros. Discovery announced at its Upfront presentation in New York this week that the streaming platform will be rebranded back to HBO Max this summer. 

By the numbers:

WBD said it’s added almost $3 billion in profit in the last two years, added 22 million Max subscribers across the world and sees more than 150 million subscribers by the end of 2026. 

WBD said their success is due to re-focusing on the content that viewers like best, and acknowledged the staying power of HBO and its shows. 

It said the programming that is working best for them is "HBO, recent box-office movies, docuseries, certain reality series and Max and local originals." 

"No consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content. With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO," WBD said in a press release. 

And, poking fun at the situation, their press release included a meme of Ross from "Friends" - one of the shows available to stream - with the infamous, "We were on a break!" line about Max and HBO.