Plot twist: HBO Max is coming back

Meet the new HBO—same as the old HBO.

Warner Bros. Discovery is bending the knee and reverting the name of its streaming service back to HBO Max, two years after initially changing the name to Max.

• The platform has now evolved from HBO Go (2008) → HBO Now (2015) → HBO Max (2020) → Max (2023) → HBO Max (June 2025).

Viewers are Max’d out

WBD’s latest move represents a pivot from its plan to brand Max as a competitive global streamer for all audiences. Rather than offering “everything for everyone,” HBO Max will instead go back to its roots, with a focus on providing high quality content and unique original storytelling for adults and families.

• “This evolution has been influenced by changing consumer needs, and the fact that no consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content,” WBD said.

Big picture: Alongside the name announcement, WBD said its streaming business has improved its profitability by ~$3 billion over the past two years. The company aims to have 150+ million global HBO Max subscribers by the end of 2026, up from ~122 million currently.