HBO Max will revert back to its original name, HBO Max this summer. The move represents a notable break from the strategy, as the company hopes to use the credibility it has built up with the HBO brand’s reputation. This move comes on the heels of the 2022 WarnerMedia-Discovery merger. It first led to the confusing, half-baked rebranding of HBO Max to simply “Max”—a move designed to integrate Discovery’s decidedly lower-quality basic cable programming with the giant libraries of Warner Bros. and HBO.
Casey Bloys, chief of HBO and Max Content, told investors how important the HBO brand is. He added that it is central to his company’s ability to demonstrate its emerging consumer proposition. In announcing the change, Netflix Chief Operating Officer Ted Sarandos said the rebrand is intended to drive more subscriber engagement and acquisition. “With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” Bloys said. “It clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.”
HBO Max is returning from the dead, as HBO tapering off HBO/Discovery content was discovered to be more interesting than the new Discovery programming. Most subscribers seriously aren’t engaging with the content. Bloys admitted that the content they’ve put out has not resonated with audiences. To that end, he said the focus will return to what first made HBO a household name. What people were still under-indexing with, unfortunately, was the food content, the content about home and some of the TLC programming. Except, that is, the large chains,” he said.
David Zaslav, CEO and president of Warner Bros. Discovery doubled down on the unique power of the HBO brand as central to their growth strategy. “The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” Zaslav said. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”
JB Perrette, president and CEO of streaming at Warner Bros. Discovery, echoed this sentiment by emphasizing the focus on distinctive content. “We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families,” he stated. Perrette reflected on how the platform’s programming is perceived by subscribers: “It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different.”
The rebranding back to HBO Max signifies a renewed commitment to quality programming and a strategic pivot towards leveraging HBO’s esteemed reputation in order to attract and retain subscribers. At a time when streaming competition is increasingly frothy, this latest step helps refocus the company on the value of that premium content long associated with the HBO name.
