After just two years as “Max,” Warner Bros. Discovery is officially rebranding its streaming service back to HBO Max starting Wednesday, July 9. The change comes ahead of next week’s Emmy nominations, allowing the platform to once again compete under the unified “HBO Max” banner.
The decision marks the latest chapter in the streamer’s identity crisis, which began when it launched as HBO Max in 2020, only to drop the HBO branding in 2023 in favor of the simplified “Max.” Now, WBD is reversing course, citing the need to leverage HBO’s prestige—a move that has drawn both internal jokes and public mockery, including from Last Week Tonight host John Oliver, who compared the flip-flopping to “Donald Trump rebranding the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America.'”
At May’s upfronts, HBO and Max content chief Casey Bloys quipped about the reversal, joking he had “a drawer full of stationery from the last time around.” Meanwhile, HBO Max CMO Shauna Spenley leaned into the absurdity, sharing a meme of three Supermans (representing HBO Go, Max, and HBO Max) pointing at each other in confusion.
The rebrand underscores WBD’s struggle to balance HBO’s elite reputation with its broader streaming ambitions. As CEO David Zaslav put it: “The HBO brand represents the highest quality in media.” But whether this latest name change stabilizes the platform—or just adds to consumer confusion—remains to be seen.
One thing’s certain: The internet (and John Oliver) will be watching.
The Pop Blog general news and updates, mostly from press releases and conferences.