Warner Bros Discovery Inc (NASDAQ:WBD, ETR:J5A) said on Wednesday it will reintroduce the “HBO” brand to its flagship streaming service, renaming Max to HBO Max this summer, in a reversal of a much-criticized rebrand that had left both consumers and industry observers puzzled.
The announcement came during the company’s annual Upfront presentation in New York, where executives highlighted the strength of WBD’s streaming turnaround, citing $3 billion in improved profitability over two years and 22 million new subscribers in the past year.
“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” said WBD CEO David Zaslav. “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 move to drop “HBO” from the platform’s name last year was widely seen as a misstep, with critics arguing it diluted the identity of one of television’s most prestigious brands.
JB Perrette, CEO of Streaming, said the change reflects a continued strategy to focus on content that resonates most with consumers. “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,” he said.
WBD said it is on track to reach over 150 million streaming subscribers by the end of 2026. The company’s content strategy has shifted to prioritize programming that drives engagement and subscriber acquisition, while scaling back on less impactful genres.
The rebrand is expected to roll out later this summer across WBD’s domestic and international markets.