From HBO Max to Max to HBO Max, WBD acknowledges the irony and leans into the re-re-rebrand

The streaming battlefield is choked with competition and viewer fatigue, and demands clear value from its participants. Warner Bros. Discovery signaled a major strategic retreat in announcing its flagship streamer Max will revert to its former name, HBO Max, this summer. The change marks the fifth branding iteration for HBO’s streaming service, a history WBD itself met with a knowing, self-deprecating wink.

Owning the optics: Max’s social media team embraced the re-rebrand’s inherent comedy, with the soon-to-be-defunct @StreamOnMax X account updating its bio to “These rebrands are trying to murder me.” In a nod to rebirth, the resurrected HBO Max X account posted a “Game of Thrones” clip of Jon Snow’s revival, captioned “What is dead may never die,” adding, “HBO Max coming this summer. Same app, new-ish name.” WBD’s official press packet even included a “Friends” meme, Ross declaring, “We were on a break!”

Seeking brand strength: The rebrand directly confronts the brand dilution and consumer confusion that industry watchers say followed the 2023 switch to the generic “Max” name, a moniker that reportedly baffled advertisers. WBD executives insist the decision is data-driven, pointing to a market where “no consumer today” is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content.” WBD President and CEO David Zaslav declared, “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth.”

Course correction: The 2023 move to “Max” intended to forge a “something-for-everyone” content cornucopia by blending in broader Discovery+ material, but WBD discovered much of this extra content went “relatively untouched” by users. Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, now states, “we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition.” The pivot concedes, as Variety observed, that WBD “can’t be as broad as the industry leader, Netflix,” a reality underscored by Netflix grabbing about 8% of TV viewing time to WBD streaming’s 1.5% in March 2025, per Nielsen data cited by The New York Times.

Sharpened content, mixed views: The “new” HBO Max will champion HBO programming, recent box-office hits, docuseries, certain reality series, and Max/local originals, while “de-prioritizing other genres” that drive less engagement.” This strategy positions HBO Max as the premium, curated destination alongside a standalone Discovery+ and a forthcoming CNN streaming service, as WBD boasts a nearly $3 billion streaming profit turnaround and 22 million new global subscribers in the last couple of years. Industry reactions vary: Ben Kunz of Mediassociates sees restored credibility, but Chris Rosica of Rosica Communications warns that frequent changes can sow more confusion, saying, “It’s a little late in the game to do that.”

A familiar path: WBD’s about-face lands it among other memorable corporate brand U-turns, like Coca-Cola’s “New Coke” and Netflix’s “Qwikster” fumble. The company banks on the globally recognized HBO brand to not only steady its streaming identity but also fuel international growth, where HBO’s name carries considerable weight. “With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” Bloys stressed, perhaps voicing a collective WBD hope when he told The New York Times, “I do hope this is the last time we have a conversation about the naming of the service.”