HBO Max is now just ‘Max’ – 4 things to know about the streaming overhaul

Goodbye, HBO. Hello Max.

Popular streaming service HBO Max was officially reborn as “Max” on Tuesday. Warner Bros. Discovery announced the new name last month, along with plans to mix the existing HBO Max library with content from Discovery+.

As CNBC reported in April, the name change is designed to signal that Max is a family-friendly streaming service with more offerings than just high-profile dramas like “Succession” and “The Sopranos.”

HBO’s removal of the name is also intended to protect the HBO brand from potential dilution by associating it with not-so-glamorous TLC reality shows like “Dr. Pimple Popper” and “My 600-Lb. Life.”

“HBO is not television. HBO is HBO,” JB Perrette, head of streaming at Warner Bros., said last month. Discovery. “We’re not going to push him to the breaking point by forcing him to take on the full magnitude of this new content.”

But there’s a lot more to the rebranding than just a shorter name. Here’s what you need to know about switching to Max.

At this time, HBO Max subscribers won’t see any price increases. Their pricing will remain the same: $9.99 for the ad-supported tier and $15.99 for ad-free streaming.

New is the “Max Ultimate Ad Free” tier, which costs $19.99 per month. This will give subscribers more movies and shows in 4K UHD, as well as the ability to stream on four devices at once and download 100 movies or episodes to watch offline.

Learn more about changing your subscription level here.

For many customers, the process of switching to Max will be as simple as updating their app software on their streaming device. Others, however, will need an entirely new application.

If you need to download the new Max app, you’ll be prompted to do so when you open HBO Max. Your login information will remain the same and you will not need to create a new account.

Max will also remember all of your settings and you can pick up the last episode of “Barry” right where you left off.

The first thing subscribers will notice when they log into their renamed Max app is the expansive content library. In fact, Max has more than double the content of its predecessor thanks to the addition of shows from Discovery-owned networks like TLC, HGTV, and Food Network.

This means that in addition to shows like “House of the Dragon”, “Watchmen” and “Sex Lives of College Girls”, users will also be able to tune into “Property Brothers”, “House Hunters” and “Diners, Drive -Ins and dives.”

The wide range of content has led Warner Bros. Discovery to give Max the catchphrase “The one to watch”.

“It’s the one to watch because it’s the place where every member of the family can go and see exactly what they want at any time,” CEO David Zaslav said last month.

You can see a full list of what’s happening to Max here.

When HBO Max first launched, it was sadly prone to problems. Its reputation as a buggy, hard-to-navigate app hasn’t improved much since. Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to Max delivering a much smoother streaming experience.

Perrette said in April that the new app will be able to load video 20% to 30% faster. Users will also receive personalized recommendations of movies and shows to watch based on their viewing habits.

The new Max app features streamlined navigation, which Warner Bros. Discovery, will make it easier to explore the app and find new things to watch.

Max has a more kid-focused experience than HBO Max, with more fleshed-out parental controls so parents can make sure their kids only see age-appropriate content.

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