A MAJOR rebrand is coming to the world’s top streaming platforms this summer.
Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that it will be changing the name of its streaming service.
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The service, currently known as Max, will soon be rebranded as HBO Max.
The company revealed the shift at its Upfront event in New York, aiming to better align the platform with the brand known for premium content.
Max, which has enjoyed explosive growth in recent years, will soon fully embrace the iconic HBO brand.
The shift comes after a period of rapid growth and profitability, with the service adding 22 million subscribers in the last year.
The rebrand reflects a shift in focus toward premium content.
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said.
“Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead,” Zaslav added.
HBO Max will continue to focus on what has worked – big-budget films, hit shows, and exclusive docuseries.
The move comes after the company moved away from genres that weren’t drawing in viewers.
“We will continue to focus on what makes us unique,” said JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming at WBD.
“It’s really not subjective, not even controversial – our programming just hits different.”
The company is aiming for 150 million subscribers by 2026, with HBO Max as a key part of that goal.
“We believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content, said.
“It clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for,” Bloys added.
The name change will take place this summer.
ESPN LAUNCHES NEW SERVICE
Disney + is taking a similar approach, with CEO Bob Iger saying in recent investor calls that the key to success in streaming is focusing on quality content.
Its new flagship ESPN streaming service would be called simply ‘ESPN.’
Disney will offer a special deal at launch, allowing customers to bundle Disney+, Hulu, and the new ESPN Unlimited streaming service for $29.99 per month for the first 12 months
The ESPN service will include dynamically inserted ads, allowing for precise targeting of specific audiences, as well as pass-through ads that are sold through its cable channels, according to Disney’s advertising president, Rita Ferro.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro previously mentioned that the app will feature ESPN Fantasy, betting options, statistics, merchandising, and commerce, Axios reported.
Legacy media companies have faced challenges in making their streaming services profitable since they launched.
As a result, they’ve started focusing more on ad-supported tiers, tightening rules around password sharing, and offering more service bundles.
