The continued progress following the HBO Max and Discovery+ merger has hit a rather interesting milestone. As we make our way out of the 2022 TV schedule, and look forward to the 2023 rollout of the new consolidated platform, one large question still looms: what’s the new service going to be named? Well, if the latest reports have anything to say, there’s a likely candidate, and it looks like neither entity is keeping its branding.
Brace yourselves folks, because CNBC has reported that “people familiar with the matter” have hinted that the name "Max" is apparently the new moniker for this unified service. While this marriage between HBO’s streaming evolution and Discovery’s array of networks and content is being called “BEAM” internally, that’s apparently not what’s being evaluated for public use by the powers that be.
The name of this fantastic beast was bound to be an attention grabber, no matter what the result. That being said, it’s going to be very interesting to see how this potential new handle will be received by the masses. As of now, the still officially unnamed entity is set for a sooner-than-expected Spring 2023 rollout.
This is just the latest of big HBO Max changes that have been brewing under Warner Bros. CEO David Zaslav. Along with the removal of specific Max Original content, and the infamous shelving of Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt, which was pretty much completed, Zaslav’s latest move is apparently due to international branding concerns. Since HBO isn’t a worldwide brand, and Discovery wouldn’t exactly cover the bill of goods, either, Max is apparently the simple and clean way forward.
Last year’s big Warner Bros. merger united both wildly different services under one roof, the growing pains have been felt far and wide. However, the massive goal post that’s been in sight is the eventual rebranding and refining of this new streaming platform that’s waiting to make a proper debut. Going by the demographics that have been presented previously, the interlinking of these two streams would create a one-stop shop for all sorts of demographics.
One would hope that either by the end of 2022, or at the very beginning of 2023, a final name will be unveiled for all the world to see. The former option might be better, if only so people know what to call the HBO Max/Discovery+ hybrid that they might be gifting people for the holidays.
For now, you don’t have to worry about where to find your HBO Max subscription, as that platform and Discovery+ are still maintaining their individual platforms for the time being. Anything can happen between now and day one for this future unnamed service, so keep your eyes out for any new updates, as CinemaBlend will report them as they come.
