HBO Max To Merge With Discovery Plus In New Streaming Service Named Max

Warner Bros. Discovery, WBD, at a press event Wednesday, officially announced the new name of its flagship streaming platform. Max combines content from HBO Max and Discovery+ in addition to other new original series.

The rebuilt Max (max.com) is set to launch first in the U.S. on May 23. WBD promises an average of more than 40 new titles and TV show seasons every month on the streaming service.

According to the service’s website, Max will be available in three different versions: Max Ad-Lite for $9.99/month or $99.99/year; Max Ad Free for $15.99/month or $149.99/year; and Max Ultimate Ad Free for $19.99/month or $199.99/year and up to 4K Ultra HD resolution.

The company announced that the Max Ultimate tier will have an expanded catalog of content available in 4K UHD including from franchises such as Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, The Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight Trilogy and more. In addition, all Warner Bros. movies released this year and in the future will also be available in 4K UHD when they arrive on Max following their theatrical windows.

“Max is the one to watch,” WBD CEO David Zaslav said on stage at Wednesday's event, featuring thousands of shows and movies on the service for every member of the household.

President and CEO of global streaming and games for WBD, JB Perrette said Max will be easier to use -- with simplified navigation -- and will have more personalization features than HBO Max.

Perrette also explained the thinking behind the merging of the platforms. “We all love HBO, and it’s a brand that has been built over five decades” to stand for "edgy, groundbreaking entertainment for adults,” he said. “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.”

The media company said it ended 2022 with 96.1 million streaming customers worldwide, inclusive of HBO Max, Discovery+ and other services.

Discovery closed WarnerMedia acquisition in April 2022. WBD promptly shutdown the widely mocked CNN+ last year, only a month after the launch of the far-left streaming platform, by CNN's previous management.