HBO’s path to deliver its online streaming service has been anything but straight. If you were to map it out, it would look more like San Francisco’s iconic Lombard Street than the Interstate. And the HBO Max name change brings another turn in the road, thanks to a recent merger between HBO’s parent company, WarnerMedia, and Discovery, Inc.
HBO’s video-on-demand service is revamping and rebranding itself as simply Max. However, unless you are only satisfied streaming in 4K UHD, you’re not going to mind the changes. In fact, you should like them. Here’s what the HBO Max name change means for you.
A brief history of HBO’s streaming services
The long road to Max
First, there was HBO on Demand. And it launched way back on July 1, 2001. That a full 6 years before Netflix took to the information highway! However, it’s not a streaming service per se, but a companion service available to subscribers of HBO’s linear service through cable or satellite providers.
Then came HBO on Broadband in 2008, which was almost immediately replaced by HBO Go, which officially launched in February 2010. This attempt at online content was an on-demand streaming service, but it also required an HBO subscription through a traditional television provider. The service was slowly put out to pasture starting in the summer of 2020 (and will continue its slow death until mid-2024.)
While HBO Go was just entering mid-life, the big wigs at WarnerMedia saw fit to launch HBO Now in April 2015. Unlike all of the previously launched HBO streaming platforms, HBO Now was a standalone service that did not require a traditional TV subscription. This was HBO’s answer to emergent TV entertainment powerhouses Netflix and Hulu.
Finally… well, not finally, obviously… HBO Max launched in May 2020. But if you think that it replaced HBO Now outright, you’d be mistaken. It was a brand-new service, distinct from HBO’s existing on-demand streaming service. The 2 services existed concurrently for a time while HBO Now subscribers were slowly migrated over to HBO Max.
But the good news was that everything seemed to be funneling into HBO Max, and it looked like HBO was getting its online act together. However, for some strange reason, customers were still given a choice between HBO Max or HBO Only – both for $14.99/month. The former had everything the latter did and a whole lot more. It was like McDonald’s offering a Big Mac combo for the same price as just a Big Mac.
The HBO Max name change
Getting back on track, in the balmy summer of 2022, WarnerMedia merged with Discovery, Inc., which naturally had its own streaming service, discovery+. (Yes, it was all lowercase.) Abandoning its initial plan to scuttle the somewhat-educational streaming service, the bigwigs decided to roll some of its content into HBO Max. But seeing as the HBO brand doesn’t really gel with Discovery, they decided to drop the “HBO” and go with just Max.
When does Max launch?
The new Max streaming service, which we agree is better than HBO Discovery Max+ (or something like that), launches May 23, 2023.
What shows will be on Max?
You’ll find all of the same HBO and HBO Max originals (like Euphoria, Succession, and The White Lotus) on the new service, as well as all those Warner Bros. films, the DC Universe, Sesame Street, and all the other things you’re used to. On top of all that, there’ll be a whole new slate of reality and lifestyle content, from brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, and more.
And there will be new Max Originals, including a Harry Potter series planned to run for 10 consecutive years! That’s gotta be the first time in television history that a series got renewed for a decade — before it’s even made, let alone aired!
Will Max cost more than HBO Max?
The good news is that the prices will remain the same (for now). The With Ads plan will continue to cost $9.99/month or $99.99/year, and the Ad-Free plan will stay at $15.99/month or $149.99/year.
The bad news — of course, there’s going to be bad news — is that Warner Bros. Discovery is taking a page out of the Netflix playbook and locking 4K quality behind a premier tier. Unlike Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Hulu, who don’t charge extra for 4K Quality, Max will move its 4K content into a new third tier called Max Ultimate Ad Free. (I guess nobody told them that Max and Ultimate are basically synonymous.) It’ll set you back $19.99/month (the same as Netflix Premium) or $199.99/year.
However, given that we’ve never really been wowed by the so-called Ultra-High Definition 4K streaming that we’ve watched on HBO Max, so we don’t see any reason to upgrade.
Do existing HBO Max subscribers need to do anything?
Not really. Your subscription will stay the same, so unless you want to upgrade to get 4K, you don’t need to do anything about your subscription.
If you’ve got HBO Max installed on any of the following devices, your app will automatically update to Max: Amazon Fire devices, Roku, Vizio TV, Xfinity, and Cox.
If you’ve got HBO Max installed on these devices, you’ll be prompted to download the Max app when you log in after May 23: Android, Apple, DirecTV, LG TV, Samsung TV, PlayStation, and Xbox.
Can you keep your HBO Max profiles and settings?
Yep! Everything stays the same. Your profiles, account settings, even your viewing history.
Can you keep your HBO Max downloads?
Nope. This is one of the only things that changes. You’ll have to redownload any movies and TV shows with the new Max app.
Is discovery+ going away?
If you’re wondering whether your discovery+ subscription is about to triple in price in order to deliver you HBO content, the answer is no. Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to continue offering discovery+ as a standalone service. Subscribers won’t be forced to upgrade into the new Max service and will continue paying $4.99/month for the ad-supported plan or $6.99/month for discovery+ (Ad-Free).
Verdict: Is the new “Just Max” a good thing?
Unless you need 4K streaming (which we’ve never really been impressed with), the revamped Max is a good thing. What you lose in a spotty and limited 4K library is more than made up for with a bunch of new content that make HBO’s offering a more well-rounded streaming service. It will definitely be more appealing to families moving forward.
For a full look at what we think of Max, check out our in-depth Max review: Streaming Cheat Sheet: Who is (HBO) Max Best for in 2023?
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