Overview

HBO Max Rebrand Controversy refers to a viral debate and controversy surrounding the series of rebrands, renames and other adjustments to the streaming service of the cable TV channel HBO and its streaming service HBO Max (formerly HBO GO, HBO Max and then Max). The streaming platform was released in May 2020 as "HBO Max," but in May 2023, it was rebranded to only "Max" by Warner Bros.

Discovery executives, hoping to reach a broader audience, distancing the brand identity from the memorable HBO logo and colors. In May 2025, the streaming service was rebranded once more, now to its original name, "HBO Max," adding the signature grey logo and the brand's color palette. Over the years, the rebrands on HBO Max sparked backlash and debate over branding strategies and consumer clarity, as well as memes, photoshops, exploitables and parody content mocking the lack of planning and consumer study behind the decision.

Background

The HBO Max streaming service was originally launched^[1] on May 27th, 2020, under WarnerMedia, replacing HBO Go and HBO Now as Warner Bros. Discovery sought to unify its streaming offerings.^[2] The purple branding and the name "HBO Max" initially aimed to emphasize the high-quality, prestige content associated with the cable network channel HBO.

However, on May 23rd, 2023, the company rebranded the service simply as "Max," moving away from the HBO name to broaden its appeal and incorporate Discovery's diverse programming,^[3] as Variety reported.

On the same day the rebrand was announced, YouTuber^[4] iCritic Media uploaded a video showing the differences in the HBO Max and Max applications on a Smart TV. The video (seen below) amassed over 110,000 views and 447 likes in two years.

Developments

2025 HBO Max Brand Return

On May 14th, 2025, HBO chief executive Casey Bloys announced that the company’s streaming platform, Max, would revert to its previous name, HBO Max, citing a desire to restore clarity and leverage HBO's strong reputation for quality programming.^[5] X^[6] page posted a screenshot from the MAX application showing the "new" HBO Max logo (seen below), amassing more than 25 million views and 188,000 likes in two days.

Online Reactions

HBO Max's rebrand over the years received mainly negative reactions online. For instance, on May 14th, 2025, X^[7] user @willfulchaos posted an edited video from the Veep comedy series, adding all the different logos the HBO streaming service had in the last few years. The video (seen below) received roughly 5 million views and 11,000 likes in two days.

The streaming service also decided to use memes to embrace the critics of the previous rebrands, which led to more criticism^[8]. For example, on May 14th, 2025, the official @streamonmax^[9] uploaded a comedic video about the logos and rebrands the company had (seen below), which received over 1.2 million plays and 105,000 likes in two days.

Search Interest

External References