Warner Bros. Discovery is once again changing the name of its flagship streaming service—this time, reversing course and returning to HBO Max, the name it originally launched with in 2020.
The announcement came ahead of the company’s 2025 upfront presentation in New York, where CEO David Zaslav and HBO content chief Casey Bloys introduced the rebrand with a mix of corporate rationale and self-aware humour.
The decision marks a pivot from 2023, when WBD controversially dropped the “HBO” branding to launch simply as Max, a name many ridiculed for being both generic and—unfortunately—the most popular name for male dogs. Now, with growth in subscribers and revenue, the company is leaning back into what Zaslav called the “quality” brand that consumers actually associate with premium storytelling.
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” Zaslav said in a statement. Bloys echoed the sentiment, saying HBO Max better reflects the kind of distinctive, high-value content subscribers actually seek. “To steal a line we always said at HBO,” Bloys added, “it’s content worth paying for.”
The announcement wasn’t without a sense of humour. During the presentation, Bloys joked about having “a drawer full of stationery” from the original HBO Max era. The press kit even included a Friends meme of Ross yelling “We were on a break!”—a nod to the streaming service’s brief identity crisis.
In an official statement, WBD subtly took aim at Netflix, declaring that audiences don’t want “more content” but rather “better content.” According to the company, returning to the HBO Max name amplifies the brand’s legacy and recognises consumer preference for premium scripted programming, films, and documentaries over sheer volume.
The renaming is expected to roll out later this summer, as WBD repositions itself as a high-end content provider rather than a catch-all streaming buffet. Until then, users can enjoy both the memes and the makeover.
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