Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly set to drop HBO from the name of its HBO Max streaming service.
The company executives believe that the name is responsible for the poor subscriptions so far.
According to Bloomberg and The Wrap, the top brass apparently believes that “the HBO name turns off many potential subscribers” as the reason for the name change. The speculated new name is Max.
The business hasn’t yet explained why it thinks the name is turning away subscribers.
Depending on how you look at it, this will be the streaming service’s third or fourth name change. It has had the names HBO Go, HBO Now, and HBO Max thus far.
According to a source familiar with the situation, HBO Max (Max?) will receive a variety of improvements, including improved video quality and unspecified additions, for an increased subscription fee of about $20 per month.
In light of the streaming service’s competition with Netflix, Amazon, and Disney+, Chief Executive Officer David Zaslav told the publication that he anticipates that adding Discovery+ will result in more members.
Although HBO’s lineup of shows is incredibly well-liked and influential, it still has millions fewer members than Netflix and Disney+, according to The Wrap.
At an earnings call in November, Sazlav reportedly stated that his team was getting ready for the launch and was thinking about modifications “in large part to address some of the deficiencies of the existing platform.”
Together with its combined presence on HBO Max, Discovery+ will continue to run as its own streaming service, perhaps luring its 96.1 million paying members who also have HBO Max to the platform.
At a press conference in April, Zaslav is expected to make the official announcement regarding any impending changes, including the choice of HBO Max’s name.