Max
Overview:
Max, formerly known as HBO Max, is an American subscription video-on-demand over-the-top streaming service. It is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Games, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Max offers content from the libraries of Warner Bros., Discovery, HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, TBS, TNT, Eurosport, and their related brands.
History:
As HBO Max:
- 2018: WarnerMedia announced plans to launch a streaming service, then called HBO Max, in late 2019.
- 2019: Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Greg Berlanti were signed to production deals for the service, and the service's launch was scheduled for May 2020.
- 2020: HBO Max launched on May 27.
As Warner Bros. Discovery era:
- 2022: WarnerMedia and Discovery merged to form Warner Bros. Discovery.
- 2023: HBO Max was rebranded as Max, with the name change occurring in the United States on May 23, Latin America on February 27, 2024, and Europe on May 21, 2024.
Content:
Max features first-run and library content from Warner Bros. and other Warner Bros. Discovery film and television studios and brands. This includes titles from The Criterion Collection, original animated series, and acquired rights such as South Park and Friends. Max also offers live feeds of HBO and its linear multiplex channels.
Reception:
As HBO Max, the service received mixed reviews upon launch. The range of available content was generally well-received, but some critics expressed confusion with HBO's other streaming platforms and the service's higher subscription price. In its first month of operation, HBO Max had 26.6 million nominal subscribers, but only 4.1 million had activated their accounts.
As Max, the service has been criticized for grouping directors and writers for its films and television series under a singular "creators" credit. This move was condemned by the Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild of America West, but Max has since announced that it will fix the credits.