Those who keep up to date on streaming insider news may be aware that the new mega deal between Warner Bros and Discovery will likely be complete by the time 2022 is halfway through.
However, another potential update is that the name of streaming platform HBO Max may be about to change, with the reason being that a number of execs at WarnerMedia find the name confusing according to CNBC.
Reports indicate that an exec who left WarnerMedia last year said: ‘It sounds like ‘supersized’ HBO. I think it’s still unclear how it’s different from HBO unless you’re familiar with the product. It was a typical AT&T decision.’
The confusion was perhaps at its highest when HBO Max first launched, as HBO Go and HBO Now were still in existence as platforms which exclusively carried HBO content. However, now the services have been replaced by HBO Max.
Although HBO Max initially contained content which was primarily HBO programming, there are now many titles which only have loose links with the HBO brand. For example, The Other Two, the Gossip Girl reboot and Titans did not start out their lives at HBO.
With Discovery originals potentially being added from channels such as HGTV, Food Network and TLC once the mega deal is complete, it’s clear the platform will become less and less associated with HBO – so a rebrand could be on the horizon. Watch this space.
