WarnerMedia has chosen the name HBO Max for its upcoming streaming service.
The company has also revealed the names of several programmes that will be carried by the service, including all 236 episodes of the sitcom Friends on an exclusive basis.
WarnerMedia TV studio owns the rights to Friends and has been licensing the show to Netflix for a number of years.
Aside from well-known content, HBO Max will also feature brand new shows, which have been termed Max Originals, and movies.
Although WarnerMedia has not revealed how much HBO Max will cost to receive, CNN reports that it is likely to be slightly more than HBO Now, at $14.99 a month, a considerably more than Netflix, Hulu, and the upcoming streaming service Disney+.
HBO Max is scheduled to launch in spring 2020 and anticipated to premier with 10,000 hours of premium content.
Commenting on the service, Robert Greenblatt, chairman, WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer, said: “HBO Max will bring together the diverse riches of WarnerMedia to create programming and user experiences not seen before in a streaming platform. HBO’s world-class programming leads the way, the quality of which will be the guiding principle for our new array of Max Originals, our exciting acquisitions, and the very best of the Warner Bros. libraries, starting with the phenomenon that is ‘Friends.’
“Under the leadership of two of the strongest creative visionaries — Casey Bloys (HBO) and Kevin Reilly (original content and acquisitions) — and two of the most experienced digital experts — Tony Goncalves and Andy Forssell — I have no doubt they and their dedicated teams will deliver the world’s best storytelling to audiences of all ages wherever and whenever they want it.”
