Yes, it’s just Max after merger of HBO Max and Discovery+
As it mixes in a large amount of new material from Discovery+ and other new original programs, Warner Bros. Discovery formally declared Max as the new name of its flagship streamer, lopping off the HBO part of the name.
At a press conference on Wednesday, the company unveiled the new name along with a list of planned initiatives. The business guarantees that the redesigned Max, which can be found online at max.com, would debut in the United States on May 23 and offer an average of more than 40 new titles and TV show seasons per month.
WBD CEO David Zaslav addressed on stage at the event, “Max is the one to watch” while featuring thousands of shows and movies on the service for every member of the household.
He added “It’s the place that every member of the household to go to see whatever they want at any given time,” he continue, noting that it will have shows that range from the high profile, prestige HBO programming like “The Last of Us” to Discovery’s unscripted content like “Property Brothers.”
The website for the service states that there will be three versions of Max. The first two plans match the current HBO Max pricing, and WBD stated that when the new service launches, current HBO Max users won’t (for the time being) notice a change in their pricing. The final stage, “Max Ultimate,” features 4K material and can support up to four streams.
MAX New Subscription Plans
- Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD, up to 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): Four concurrent streams, up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality
In January, Warner Bros. Discovery raised the cost of HBO Max in the United States from $14.99 to $15.99 per month for those who don’t want advertisements, while keeping the ad-supported plan at $9.99.
The 4K UHD video library for the Max Ultimate tier will be expanded to include titles from popular series including “Game of Thrones,” “The Last of Us,” “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Dark Knight Trilogy,” and more.
The company added that all Warner Bros. films released this year and in the future would also be offered in 4K UHD.
Why Company decided to merge platform?
Warner Bros. Discovery’s JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games, said “We all love HBO, and it’s a brand that has been built over five decades” to stand for “edgy, groundbreaking entertainment for adults,” Perrette continue “But it’s not exactly where parents would most eagerly drop off their kids. And yet Warner Bros. Discovery has some of the best-known kids’ characters, animation and brands in the industry. Not surprisingly, the category has not met his true potential on HBO Max.”
He continue “we also want to honor and embrace where we’ve come from,” Perrette added, calling the streaming platform as “most iconic, trailblazing brand in entertainment. HBO is not TV. HBO is HBO. It needs to stay that way. Which is why we will privilege it in the product experience and also not push it to the breaking point by forcing it to take on the full breadth of this new content proposition.”
Will Discovery+ still available as a stand-alone service?
Yes. Discovery+ will remain available to subscribe to separately, for $4.99 a month (or $6.99 ad-free). But there won’t be a standalone version of Max available without the Discovery material.
What new shows can I expect on Max?
Executives from WBD promised Max 40 new episodes and seasons each month. The two largest new shows that were revealed were a live-action “Harry Potter” TV series executive produced by J.K. Rowling and “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight,” a new “Game of Thrones” spinoff with fresh actors playing the classic roles.
Some other new shows and films has been announced which included The Penguin, a prequel to “It,” “Welcome to Derry,” a new “Big Bang Theory” spinoff, and unscripted series starring Robert Downey, Jr., Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes
However, this change will be welcomed by customers remains to be seen, because it raises the possibility of a price hike.
