Warner Bros. Discovery Reportedly Close to Finalizing Name for Combined HBO Max and Discovery+ Streaming Service
We're getting closer to discovering the new name of the combined Warner Bros. Discovery streaming services HBO Max and discovery+. HBO Max launched in the spring of 2020 under its original parent company WarnerMedia, with Discovery unveiling discovery+ in January 2021. Both streaming services feature content from Warner Bros. and Discovery's vast catalogs and are now under one roof when Discovery acquired Warner Bros. in April, creating the new company Warner Bros. Discovery. CEO David Zaslav has confirmed the merger of HBO Max and discovery+, bringing the brands together for one cohesive streaming service. The only question, aside from when the combined streaming service will launch, is what name will HBO Max/discovery+ go by.
CNBC reports Warner Bros. Discovery executives are formalizing plans to make "Max" the name for the merged HBO Max and discovery+. The outlet reports lawyers are in the process of vetting the name. While "Max" may be the front-runner, sources claim executives have not made a final decision on if "Max" will be chosen. Warner Bros. Discovery is reportedly referring to the new service internally as "BEAM" with other names also being vetted.
What Will Combined HBO Max and Discovery+ Service Look Like?
According to CNBC, the combined HBO Max/discovery+ streaming service will share similarities with Disney+, as Warner Bros. Discovery brands will have their own tiles. Examples given were HBO, Discovery, DC, and Warner Bros.
When a user logs into Disney+, they're greeted with tiles for Disney's popular franchises like Marvel, Star Wars, National Geographic, and Pixar. A similar option is available in HBO Max, with subsections for HBO, DC, Max Originals, Adult Swim, Looney Tunes, and Studio Ghibli.
Warner Bros. Discovery Merging HBO Max and Discovery+
Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav announced during a quarterly earnings call in August that it was officially merging its streaming services. The company confirmed that the plan is to release the combined service in the summer of 2023, followed by releases in Latin America, Europe, and other markets in late 2023 through 2024.
"With respect to streaming, our main priority right now is launching an integrated SVOD service," Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during the call. "And in a few moments, JB will talk more about the strategy and some of the key building blocks and milestones as we bring HBO Max and Discovery+ together under one offering. Our streaming strategy has evolved over the past year and really reflects the importance of rather than the dependence on this segment of our global content monetization plan."
"Once our SVOD service is firmly established in the market, we see real potential and are exploring the opportunity for a fast or free ad-supported streaming offering that would give consumers who do not want to pay a subscription fee access to great library content, while at the same time serving as an entry point to our premium service," Zaslav added.