HBO's Changes Include Its Name

With HBO Go gone and HBO Now in the past, the streaming service is looking to replace HBO Max, as well. The company, along with a series of changes sparked by its upcoming merger with Discovery+, plans to rename the service Max, Bloomberg reports. Executives of the newly formed Warner Bros. Discovery don't believe the legacy HBO part of the name, which has remained through a series of changes, attracts customers. Chief executive David Zaslav said combining with Discovery+ and its reality programming should add subscribers.

HBO programming collects more awards than any competitor but lags far behind Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon in paying subscribers. Other tweaks are in the works in an effort to change that, per Gizmodo. A $20-per-month version is projected to have better video quality and possibly other improvements; prices could stay the same for the lower-priced, ad-supported and ad-free options. The Discovery+ streaming service will remain in operation. The company said it will release more details next month. (More HBO stories.)