Day 3748 of streaming wars™: It's been two years since HBO Max went live, and the world of streaming media has not been the same. In the immediate aftermath of its launch, HBO Max served as a key platform for Hollywood to release films during quarantine. Armed with a plethora of top-tier exclusive content, it seemed like HBO Max would become the undisputed frontrunner in the streaming wars™.
However, after Warner Brothers and Discovery fused into a giant corporate chimera, HBO Max took a turn for the worst. The platform started to cancel projects left and right. In some cases, HBO Max even deleted completed projects from its content library. It was a dark time in the streaming wars™.
According to CNBC, HBO Max is slated to receive a new name that will reflect the bevy of content shared between Warner Brothers and Discovery. It's not official just yet, but the new platform is eyeing the name "Max" as its new moniker.
Warner Bros. Discovery executives are close to formalizing a new name and platform for its soon-to-be-launched streaming service that will combine the preexisting HBO Max and Discovery+ services.
The merged platform's expected name, "Max," is being vetted by the company's lawyers, according to people familiar with the matter.
Executives haven't finalized a decision and the name could still be changed, but Max is the likely choice, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Some senior executives are still debating a final name, said two of the people. Internally, Warner Bros. Discovery has given the new service a code name of "BEAM" while a final name is being debated, said the people. Lawyers are vetting other names, as well.