by So far, Warner Bros. You may have heard that the two major TV streaming services run by Discovery (HBO Max and Discovery+) will merge soon. Thanks to a new report from CNBC, we now have a good idea of what the new consolidated service will be called.
The historically reliable financial publication, Warner Bros. He cites sources familiar with the matter who say Discovery attorneys are investigating the name “Max” that company executives have chosen for the service.
He notes that the name may still change, but Max is the “likely choice” and the bots are trying to make that a reality on the proverbial floor. So far, the company’s leaders have dubbed the new service internally by the temporary codename “BEAM”.
The name change could help unravel the confusing history of the HBO brand, which audiences have grappled with in recent years.
For ages, the name of the HBO cable channel has been associated with premium shows and movies that differ significantly from most other content on television.
But as streaming technology has risen, confusion has arisen as to exactly what the difference is between the HBO cable network’s two streaming services: HBO Go and HBO Now. (Go required customers to sign up through a traditional cable provider, whereas Now was an all-digital service that didn’t require a cable subscription.)
Then, HBO content was shared by DC Comics, Cartoon Network, Warner Bros. movies etc. with shows and movies from some (but not all) of the conglomerate’s other properties, such as HBO Max.
While HBO Max likely enjoyed the prestigious brand recognition of the HBO name, company executives were reportedly concerned that the name stamp would be diluted as it now covers a wider range of content.
With even more content coming under the streaming service’s umbrella with the upcoming Discovery+ merger, a name change to Max will allow HBO to retain its unique identity to avoid confusing existing customers while keeping some of the HBO Max name (perhaps).
In other words: Everything just got a little messier, and Warner Bros. Discovery sees service aggregation as an opportunity to more or less press a reset button in the whole event.
When Max launches, it will add Discovery+’s library of content from networks like Discovery Channel, Animal Planet, TLC, HGTV, Food Network, CNN, and A&E (among others) to what we’ve seen before on HBO Max. one of the most robust libraries of original content on any streaming service.
The interface of the new service will be divided into clear sections by brand. This is similar to Disney+, which draws the lines between shows and movies from Marvel, Star Wars, Disney and National Geographic brands, among others.
Max (if that’s really the name) is scheduled for release in the spring of 2023. No announcement has been made about its pricing, but HBO Max and Discovery+ cost $14.99 and $6.99 per month for their ad-free tiers.
