Max is now HBO Max, again — here's how it could impact you

(L, R) A hand holds a phone with the HBO Max logo in the dark, and the Max logo appears on a TV in an entertainment console.
(Image credit: Warner Bros. Discovery/Shutterstock)

Max is now HBO Max. Again.

No, I'm not joking. Less than two years after Warner Bros. Discovery changed the streaming service and ditched the HBO brand name, they've finally come to their senses and admitted that maybe HBO is why people want Max.

The move was announced today (May 14) in a press release, alongside a presentation by David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery JB Perrette, WBD President and CEO of Streaming, and Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, at WBD's upfront presentation to advertisers.

What the shift back to HBO Max means for you

HBO Max

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

At present, the rebranding means nothing for most of you reading this.

Sometime this summer, all your Max apps will rebrand to HBO Max, something that already began when WBD ditched the Max purple color scheme for HBO's classic black-and-white.

But no price changes came with the announcement, nor the addition or removal of any features or content from the streaming service.

Changes are coming, though. WBD has already announced that an HBO Max password-sharing crackdown is coming in the next 12-18 months. And there are rumors that WBD will spin off its linear cable assets (think Food Network, TBS, etc.).

But for now, all that's changing is you having to remember that HBO Max isn't Max anymore — it's HBO Max. Good luck.

Malcolm McMillan
Malcolm McMillan

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

Here's what he's been watching lately:

Malcolm McMillan
Streaming Editor

Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made.

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