The confusion is over. Warner Bros. Discover This week it will relist its streaming service Max as HBO Max after it removes the iconic cable brand from its name in 2022. Inclined to be ridiculous everything. But it is important that this shift marks a bigger change in WBD’s streaming strategy as the business grows beyond its full cost era.
Say what you want about WBD CEO David Zaslav, the media was appointed as a public punching bag for fairness and injustice. But at least he is willing to admit his mistakes rather than pursue the cost of sunk.
“It's a wise course correction and admitting that the first step doesn't work,” VI Marketing and Branding CEO Tim Berney told Observer. “They won't go back to HBO Max unless it's necessary. It's a common mistake: companies pay a premium for a strong brand and then dump names for themselves, 'vision' or internal politics.”
In 2022, HBO was removed from the name of the ribbon, hoping to brand the general entertainment service that could compete with Netflix. move It may make sense when one thinks that a slim discovery portfolio and lean WBD library will have more synergy. Now that we know that's not the case (Max's global subscriber numbers hovered by about 122 million, while Netflix has more than 300 million members), it makes sense to return a beloved brand intertwined with blockbuster quality, no matter how chaotic its transitions are.
“By strengthening HBO’s name in global streaming services, WBD expressed hope to build long-term brand recognition based on an identity of advanced storytelling,” Lyric Mandell, director of media and public relations at Moxy Company, a brand development and strategy company, told Observer.
Future Challenges
However, HBO's return is not without its challenges. In the United States, premium wired networking has always been a niche but well-loved brand. But outside the U.S., the company has spent decades licensing its content to local partners. (Max works with Foxtel in Australia, Sky in the UK and Canal in France+.) This makes you unstable.
“HBO is very popular in the United States, but overseas, it is not very popular,” Rafikuzzaman Khan, chief operating officer of digital marketing agency Microters Dermany, told Observer. “Overseas, HBO will likely be overshadowed by local streaming giants and even Netflix. The revived HBO Max will confuse some overseas audiences who know nothing about HBO.”
In order for WBD to make the most of its latest branding, it must continue to understand its strengths and weaknesses while providing a stable flow of high-quality programming worthy of the HBO brand. Reviving the HBO name alone is not enough to reignite subscriber growth and infinity.
For example, cross-company collaboration is more important than ever. WBD has wisely partnered with Disney to offer streaming bundles including Disney+, Hulu and Max. The result claims – According to antenna data, after three months, 80% of new subscribers signed between July 2024 and September 2024 are still subscribed. This makes it the best retention-driven streaming product on the U.S. market. As long as the content library is complementary, not overlapping, it also shows how bundling can help secondary players compete.
“This move reveals a striking shift in the streaming landscape,” Ala Ho, founder of brand agent Andhuman, said of Max’s rebranding. “The number alone does not build loyalty. What a brand has to mean. WBD’s decision is an act of brand humility and cultural listening, which is a rare willingness to say: we misread this moment.”
