HBO again: Warner's streaming service gets old name back

The pioneering HBO launched as a streaming service in 2020 and carved out a niche for itself with offerings that many viewers saw as a cut above the fare on other platforms.

Some fans and industry watchers were baffled two years ago when bosses decided to ditch a name long associated with quality television like "The Sopranos," "Game of Thrones" and "The Wire" in favor of the anodyne "Max."

The move left some wondering about the direction of a platform that was competing in an increasingly crowded streaming space against giants like Netflix and Disney's Hulu.

But on Wednesday, parent company Warner Bros. Discovery said they were reversing course and putting the HBO back into the name, rebranding the offering HBO Max this summer.

"The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming," David Zaslav, president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, said.

"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 company says it has momentum and has added 22 million subscribers over the last two years, envisaging more than 150 million paying customers by the end of 2026.