HBO Max

Product brand

HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery's subscription streaming service built around HBO and the Warner Bros. film and television library.

Last updated October 30, 2026

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Overview

HBO Max is a subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) streaming brand launched by WarnerMedia in the United States in May 2020. It was conceived as a broader, more mass-market successor to the HBO Now/HBO Go services: rather than carrying only HBO's premium drama and comedy, HBO Max bundled HBO with the wider Warner Bros. film and television library, Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network content, DC films and series, Turner-classic cable brands, and Max Originals commissioned specifically for the platform. The brand's positioning is premium-but-broad. HBO supplies the prestige halo — the Emmy-winning drama and comedy that has defined the pay-TV network since the 1990s — while the Max catalogue supplies volume and family appeal. HBO Max competes in the crowded US streaming market against Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu and Paramount+, and it has been rolled out internationally, notably across Latin America and parts of Europe. Ownership has changed twice in the brand's short life. HBO Max was created inside AT&T-owned WarnerMedia; when AT&T spun WarnerMedia off and merged it with Discovery, Inc. in April 2022, HBO Max became an asset of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery. Under the new leadership of CEO David Zaslav, the company cut costs, cancelled or removed a number of Max Originals, and repositioned the service. In 2023 the service was rebranded simply as "Max," folding in Discovery+ content such as unscripted lifestyle and reality programming; in 2025 the company returned the HBO name to the front of the brand, marketing the service as "HBO Max" again to emphasise the premium HBO identity. HBO Max is not a separately listed company; it is a strategic direct-to-consumer brand within Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming segment, and its subscriber numbers are reported as part of that segment's results. Its flagship offerings are HBO original series, Warner Bros. theatrical films arriving after their cinema and home-entertainment windows, DC Universe titles, and Max/HBO Max Originals.

History

HBO Max was announced by WarnerMedia in 2019 as the company's answer to Netflix and Disney+: a direct-to-consumer service that would combine HBO's premium subscription programming with the far larger Warner Bros. film and television library, plus new originals. The service launched in the United States on 27 May 2020, initially without distribution on Roku and Amazon Fire TV — a carriage standoff that limited early reach until deals were struck. At launch HBO Max was owned by AT&T through WarnerMedia. Its early strategy included an aggressive day-and-date release plan for Warner Bros.' 2021 theatrical slate, which put films such as the 2021 Warner Bros. releases on the service at the same time as cinemas; the move angered exhibitors and talent but drove sign-ups. In April 2022 AT&T completed the spin-off of WarnerMedia and its merger with Discovery, Inc., creating Warner Bros. Discovery, and HBO Max became part of the new company's streaming portfolio alongside Discovery+. Under Warner Bros. Discovery, the service was restructured. The company cancelled or removed several titles, pulled some HBO Max Originals from the service, and merged the engineering and product teams of HBO Max and Discovery+. In April 2023 the service was relaunched as "Max," combining HBO Max's scripted and film catalogue with Discovery's unscripted lifestyle, food, home and reality programming. In 2025 Warner Bros. Discovery rebranded the service back to "HBO Max," restoring the HBO name to the front of the brand to sharpen its premium positioning. Throughout, HBO Max has been a key battleground in the streaming wars: it competes for subscribers and for talent with Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, Hulu and Paramount+, and its performance is closely watched as an indicator of whether legacy media companies can convert cable-era brands into direct-to-consumer businesses.

2025
Warner Bros. Discovery rebrands the service back to "HBO Max."
2023
The service is relaunched as "Max," combining HBO Max and Discovery+ content.
2022
AT&T spins off WarnerMedia and merges it with Discovery, forming Warner Bros. Discovery; HBO Max becomes part of the new company.
2021
Warner Bros. releases its 2021 theatrical slate day-and-date on HBO Max.
2020
HBO Max launches in the United States on 27 May 2020.
2019
WarnerMedia announces HBO Max as its direct-to-consumer streaming service.

Products and positioning

Premium subscription streaming built on the HBO prestige brand plus the Warner Bros. Discovery content library.

HBO Max subscription (ad-free and ad-supported tiers)
Monthly subscription streaming plans offering the HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery catalogue.
HBO original series
Premium drama, comedy and limited series produced under the HBO brand.
Max/HBO Max Originals
Titles commissioned specifically for the streaming platform.

Controversies

2022
HBO Max responds to allegations about Euphoria set conditions
HBO Max responded to allegations about working conditions on Euphoria season two, stating that the production complied with safety guidelines and guild protocols and that it maintained communication with guilds. The article reports allegations of long workdays and complaints about meals and bathroom access; it does not establish those allegations as findings.
Source
2020
Warner Bros. faces backlash over its 2021 simultaneous streaming and theatrical release plan
Warner Bros. faced criticism from filmmaker Christopher Nolan and movie-theater chain AMC over its plan to release all 17 of its 2021 movies on HBO Max the same day they reached US theaters. AMC issued a rebuke, and Nolan criticized the plan and how it was reportedly handled.
Source

2026.08.25
WBD acquires international distribution rights to Diabolical: The Epstein Files for HBO Max[3]华纳兄弟探索为HBO Max收购《Diabolical: The Epstein Files》国际发行权advanced-television.com
Warner Bros Discovery announced the acquisition of international distribution rights to the documentary Diabolical: The Epstein Files for HBO Max, with rollout across international territories starting September 3, including premieres in the UK, Italy and the Netherlands.
2022.03.04
Reported2022.03.04
HBO Max responds to allegations about Euphoria set conditions[1]HBO Max responds to allegations about Euphoria set conditionsyahoo.com
HBO Max responded to allegations about working conditions on Euphoria season two, stating that the production complied with safety guidelines and guild protocols and that it maintained communication with guilds. The article reports allegations of long workdays and complaints about meals and bathroom access; it does not establish those allegations as findings.
Unconfirmed
HBO Documentary Films acquires When We Were Bullies[4]HBO纪录片电影部购得《When We Were Bullies》thefutoncritic.com
HBO Documentary Films acquired the documentary short When We Were Bullies. The film was scheduled to debut on HBO on March 30 and to be available to stream on HBO Max.
2022.02.01
Reported2022.02.01
HBO Max launches More Than A Month campaign[5]HBO Max推出“More Than A Month”活动comicbook.com
HBO Max announced the More Than A Month campaign for Black History Month and beyond, including streaming content, Twitter watch parties, and free episodes on the app.
Unconfirmed
HBO and HBO Max win Golden Globe TV awards[6]HBO与HBO Max获得金球奖电视类奖项c21media.net
HBO and HBO Max received six of the 11 Golden Globe awards dedicated to TV series. HBO’s Succession won best drama series, and HBO Max’s Hacks won best musical or comedy TV series.
2021.10.07
Reported2021.10.07
LG announces six months of HBO Max with qualifying TV purchases[7]LG宣布购买指定电视可获六个月HBO Max订阅prnewswire.com
LG Electronics USA announced a limited-time promotion offering the first six months of the HBO Max Ad-Free plan with the purchase of qualifying 2021 LG OLED and LG QNED MiniLED TVs from LG-authorized retailers or LG.com, through November 12, 2021.
Unconfirmed
HBO Max acquires Halsey album-film[8]HBO Max收购Halsey专辑电影thefutoncritic.com
HBO Max acquired Halsey's album-film, “If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power,” after its limited theatrical run; the film was set to debut on the service in the US on October 7.
2021.09.17
Reported2021.09.17
HBO Max announces 50% subscription discount[9]HBO Max宣布订阅费用五折优惠foxbusiness.com
HBO announced a 50% discount for current and former subscribers who accessed the network through Prime Video, as well as new and returning HBO Max subscribers. The offer was available through September 26, with the subscription costing $7.49 per month for the first six months instead of the usual $14.99.
2021.07.27
Reported2021.07.27
Warner Bros. acquires worldwide rights to The Fallout[10]华纳兄弟取得《The Fallout》全球发行权comingsoon.net
Warner Bros. Pictures acquired the worldwide rights to the film The Fallout. The film is slated for exclusive release on HBO Max where available, with Warner Bros. Pictures distributing it in the remaining international markets.
2021.06.30
Reported2021.06.30
HBO Max offers half-price launch promotion[11]HBO Max推出半价上线优惠telecompaper.com
HBO Max offered new and existing HBO Go subscribers who signed up to the monthly renewal plan by 31 July half-price service for as long as they maintained a continuous subscription.

Sources51 sources

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Overview

History

Products and positioning

Controversies

Recent events

Sources51 sources