Well, it finally happened. Consumers officially lost the standalone brand of HBO and are now left with just Max. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) maintains HBO has achieved its “maximum reach”. But who is Max and what did they do with HBO? We wondered this while downloading the new Max app and eagerly awaiting for the series finale of Succession to load.
Upon opening Max, we immediately missed HBO. We were accustomed to seeing the HBO logo when turning on the screen. Without it, it just seemed barren. It makes us wonder why Max would discard such a recognizable and prized possession of a namesake rather than put it front and center. Understanding that consolidation necessitates integration, this decision is confusing.
After all, HBO was the original premium “it’s not TV” content provider. Founded in 1972 by Time Inc., the company has been streaming content direct to TV’s (initially through bulky rooftop antennas) for more than 50 years. The family “home box office,” replaced by the abbreviation HBO, is widely considered to be the ultimate in premium content, and the price reflects it.
Many people likely feel a connection to this brand. Some of the best characters and shows have come from HBO. From Sex and the City, Curb Your Enthusiasm, to The Sopranos.
HBO is the epitome of a classic brand — what Nike is to sports apparel. It stands on its own, with television series, comedies, and movies that have become embedded in our culture from Larry Sanders to Larry David. Some, like Game of Thrones, are revered with cult-like status. In other words, you get what you pay for when it comes to their content.
If a brand is more than the sum of its parts, then what role does HBO play now within Max?
Max has a steep hill to climb to establish itself as the overarching brand. It will be important to lean into HBO whenever possible.
At present, HBO is still being promoted as its own hub within Max. It is also still being offered at an ad-free premium. After the highly anticipated Succession finale, we learned that from classics to new hits, consumers are in store for an entertaining start of the summer with more content. Just when we thought we lost HBO, we are getting more.
And what will Max become? Does the combination of Discovery + HBO position Max to become the next Disney+?
It’s too early to tell how it will play out from a brand standpoint. Technically and financially it makes sense to offer a unified viewing experience.There may be reboots pulled from nostalgic content, classics and fan favorites.
Many in the media industry as well as consumers are eagerly awaiting the answer to these questions.
While we wonder how the marquee brand will evolve, we’ll be tuning into the new seasons of our favorites, especially Curb which we’ve been rewatching from season 1 in recent weeks. It’s going to be pretty, pretty, pretty good.