Warner Bros. Discovery has announced it is bringing back the HBO name into its streaming service from the summer, creating HBO Max.
Many media observers had questioned the decision not to use the brand when the merged Warner Bros Discovery combined its two streaming services.
Among them Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos, who in an interview with Variety said the initial absence of the HBO moniker was a surprise: “When they’re serious, all those names will go away, and it’ll just be HBO”
In restoring HBO to the lead brand, WBD does so from a position of strength, having added 22 million subscribers over the last year. The company is on course for 150 million subscribers by the end of 2026, by when the UK and Ireland will finally have been added to the list of countries where HBO Max is available.
Speaking during the WBD Upfront on stage at Madison Square Garden, JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming said HBO Max would continue to focus on what makes it unique: “Not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial – our programming just hits different.”
HBO Max will bring together brands including HBO, Warner Bros., Max Originals, DC, Harry Potter, A24 Films, as well as iconic shows like Friends and The Big Bang Theory.
