‘Max’ Streaming Service Adds ‘HBO’ Back To Its Name 2 Years After Rebranding

Two years after a major rebrand, the streaming service “Max” will revert back to being called “HBO Max,” reflecting what many customers were still calling it informally.

This announcement comes less than two months after Max debuted a logo tweak with a black and white design similar to the classic HBO logo with that same color scheme, per Variety.

Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery announced the name change in a press release, the outlet noted, saying they are “returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”

“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” WBD president and CEO David Zaslav told ad execs during a presentation on Wednesday. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”

The outlet noted that the Max/HBO branding was originally changed in an effort to reflect the large variety of content, which was meant to make the service comparable to Netflix. Another speaker assured the crowd that the diversity of options would remain even though the name is changing back.

“We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different,” said JB Perrette, president and CEO of streaming.

The Max social media account changed its X bio to say, “These rebrands are trying to murder me.”

The person in charge of social media also posted multiple memes about the switch, including the classic image of multiple identical Superman characters encountering one another.

V2 approved by legal. pic.twitter.com/uUhH3RU4T6

— Max (@StreamOnMax) May 14, 2025

There was also a papal conclave joke showing an image of a chimney spewing white smoke.

“BREAKING: White smoke was seen coming from the Warner Bros. water tower. A new brand has been chosen,” the caption said. 

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

One user summed up what most everyone was saying, posting a comment that said, “Seriously, just make up your mind. We still call it HBO no matter what.”