In brief: HBO Max will receive a fresh coat of paint and a new name as part of a push to better compete in the crowded streaming space. Warner Bros. Discovery has announced that starting May 23, HBO Max will simply be known as Max.
The new offering will combine HBO originals, Warner Bros. movies, Max originals and content from Harry Potter and the DC Universe with material from Discovery+ in a bid to climb the streaming ranks and offer viewers great value.
Max will be offered in three tiers. Max Ad-Lite will command $9.99 per month (or $99.99 per year) and afford two concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, and 5.1 surround sound quality. For $15.99 per month (or $149.99 a year), you can bump up to Max Ad Free which includes everything in the Lite package (minus ads) plus 30 offline downloads. Max Ultimate Ad Free, meanwhile, will set you back $19.99 per month (or $199.99 for a full year) and allows for up to four concurrent streams, up to 4K resolution, 100 offline downloads and Dolby Atmos sound quality.
The new plans align with HBO Max's existing ad-supported and ad-free tiers, and current subscribers will have access to existing plan features for at least six months after the change. What's more, profiles, watch history, settings and the like will carry over to Max automatically.
Warner Bros. Discovery promises the new service will deliver an average of more than 40 new titles and seasons each and every month. It will also have more personalization features than HBO Max and a seamless user experience, we're told.
Why the change, you ask? JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, told Variety that HBO is a brand that's been built for over five decades to deliver edgy and groundbreaking content for adults. "But it's not exactly where parents would most eagerly drop off their kids," Perrette added.
As such, the new Max will be more family friendly and even have a default kids' profile option as well as parental controls. HBO content will still be there, it's just not being advertised as heavily. Is that a mistake?