HBO Max to Make Comeback After Users Rejected ‘Max’ Name

HBO Max will soon be back.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery made the announcement on Wednesday, May 14, in New York at its upfront presentation, telling advertisers the streaming platform’s original name will be restored this summer.

In a press release, WBD said its streaming service — currently called “Max” — is experiencing “incredible momentum” and added 22 million subscribers in the past year.

The company credited that success to focusing on quality movies and TV shows and “de-prioritizing” programming it said drove “less engagement,” which apparently translates to programming fewer people watched.

“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming. Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead,” WBD President and CEO David Zaslav said in a statement.

Related: Max Cancels ‘Rap Sh!t’ After 2 Seasons, Leaving Fans Frustrated

Two years ago the company swapped out the HBO Max name for Max. The move was part of a long-planned merger of HBO Max and Discovery+, as previously reported.

That change was met with derision online. Fast forward to 2025 and users welcomed the rebranding of the rebrand.

A Wednesday post on Max’s official X account jokingly compared the announcement to a papal conclave, saying: “White smoke was seen coming from the Warner Bros. water tower. A new brand has been chosen.”

BREAKING: White smoke was seen coming from the Warner Bros. water tower. A new brand has been chosen. pic.twitter.com/DOC8LIWR4x

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

“HBO Max is going back to the name HBO Max after finding out that we were still calling it HBO,” comedian Jay Jurden tweeted.

“Two years ago last month, @latimes’ [TV columnist] Mary McNamara argued that stripping HBO from HBO Max was a mistake. Vindication!”  LA Times editor Matt Brennan posted.

Even competitor Peacock got in on the action. “Welcome back @hbomax,” read a tweet from the official Peacock account.