HBO Max is back. The streaming platform gets renamed for the fifth time in 10 years
HBO Max was HBO Go, then HBO Now, then HBO Max, then Max, and now it's HBO Max... again
😅 HBO Max is reverting to its previous name, HBO Max, after being briefly rebranded as Max
🙃 This marks the fifth rebrand of the streaming service since its launch as HBO Go in 2010
🤷♂️ The decision to revert the name has let to widespread ridicule, but data showed that consumers associate the HBO name with quality
🤣 HBO Max’s name change to Max sparked online mockery, including from celebrities and actors with shows on the platform
HBO has announced that its streaming service, Max, is being rebranded to HBO Max – which is what it was called previously.
The decision to revert to the previous name has led to widespread ridicule online, and even HBO is poking fun at itself over the “rebrand”.
The change from HBO Max to Max was universally mocked two years ago, even by celebrities and actors who had shows on the platform. However, some sanity has been restored, as Max is no more.
However, HBO seems unable to stick with a name for very long, as this is the fifth rebrand of the service.
HBO Go launched in 2010 as a streaming app for existing HBO cable subscribers. The name was changed to HBO Now in 2015, which was a standalone streaming app that lets users access HBO's content without a cable subscription.
Then, in 2020, HBO Max was born. It integrated HBO Now and HBO Go into one package. Simple enough.
However, in 2023, HBO Max changed its name to 'Max' as the company tried to broaden the service's appeal after it merged with Discovery Communications in April 2022.
But just two years later, Max is now HBO Max again, as data showed consumers associated the HBO name with quality. Right…
Of course, the internet is having a field day with the news, and you'd hope HBO doesn't change its mind again. I don't think people could take another rebrand, but maybe HBO+ has a nice ring to it?
Either way, Max becomes HBO Max (again) this summer.
Adam Vjestica is The Shortcut’s Senior Editor. Formerly TechRadar’s Gaming Hardware Editor, Adam has also worked at Nintendo of Europe as a Content Marketing Editor, where he helped launch the Nintendo Switch. Follow him on X @ItsMrProducts.