14 votes

Warner Bros. Discovery unveils new flagship streaming service, 'Max'

18 comments

  1. [9]
    JXM
    Link
    Good luck with that, buddy. Just from a business standpoint, this is such a dumb move. Out of all the brands they have, "Max" is the least sensible one to choose. Both HBO and Discovery have much...

    “Max is the one to watch, because it’s home to shows that have a supersized effect on people and culture,” Discovery CEO David Zaslav said during a presentation in Burbank, California. “It’s streaming’s version of must-see TV.”

    Good luck with that, buddy. Just from a business standpoint, this is such a dumb move. Out of all the brands they have, "Max" is the least sensible one to choose. Both HBO and Discovery have much more recognition than "Max". It seems bizarre that they didn't just use the HBO Max brand and fold everything in to that. HBO as a brand has definitely taken a hit in the last few years because of HBO Max, but it is still held up as one of the premium TV channels/brands.

    On top of all that, this is the third or fourth transition they've made with to a new "one service to rule them all" service they've made in the last few years. It's just going to confuse consumers even more than they already are. Tons of people have no clue what the difference between HBO, HBO Go, and HBO Max are. But people were slowly understanding that it was a cable channel and a streaming service. Now they're back to square one, educating people all over again.

    On the new service’s launch date, HBO Max will update as the Max app for the majority of users. Some users on certain platforms will be prompted to make the switch when they enter the app, Perrette said.

    Discovery+ as an app will remain unaffected, with Perrette noting the company doesn’t “want to leave any of its profitable subscribers behind.”

    So now they'll have two apps, "Max" and "Discovery+", both of which will be the same in terms of content? Seems like the HBO Go vs HBO Now debacle from a few years ago.

    PS - Let us never forget that this is from the company that told us Discovery+ is the place for women to watch all of their favorite lean back, comfort viewing genre shows.

    12 votes
    1. [8]
      NoblePath
      Link Parent
      What is that slide from?

      What is that slide from?

      3 votes
      1. [7]
        JXM
        Link Parent
        HBO was, from the early 2000s to the late 2010s, seen as THE place for high quality, longform television shows. That reputation slid over the past decade or so as more and more 2nd tier cable...

        HBO was, from the early 2000s to the late 2010s, seen as THE place for high quality, longform television shows. That reputation slid over the past decade or so as more and more 2nd tier cable networks (like AMC or USA) started producing higher quality content. And mixing in all of Warner Bros. other content with the HBO shows in the HBO Max service just further diluted the “premium” brand that HBO had cultivated.

        6 votes
        1. [3]
          vord
          Link Parent
          RIP Carnivale.

          RIP Carnivale.

          2 votes
          1. CharlieConway
            Link Parent
            Carnivale was awesome but I'm more disappointed about never getting a second season of John from Cincinnati. I was one of the six people who loved that show.

            Carnivale was awesome but I'm more disappointed about never getting a second season of John from Cincinnati. I was one of the six people who loved that show.

            1 vote
          2. JXM
            Link Parent
            One of my favorite TV shows. It's one of those shows that has stuck with me even a decade after watching it. If you haven't read this interview with the creator, he goes in to detail about what...

            One of my favorite TV shows. It's one of those shows that has stuck with me even a decade after watching it.

            If you haven't read this interview with the creator, he goes in to detail about what would have happened in subsequent seasons.

            I vaguely remember that a long time ago, he wrote a blog post with even more detailed descriptions about his five season plan for the show and what would have happened, but I can't seem to find it anymore. Unsurprisingly, it had a ton of religious and nuclear war overtones.

            1 vote
        2. [3]
          NoblePath
          Link Parent
          True information, but I was asking about the keynote slide about women and their leanback entertainment that you linked.

          True information, but I was asking about the keynote slide about women and their leanback entertainment that you linked.

          2 votes
          1. cloud_loud
            Link Parent
            It’s from a shareholders meeting they had last year

            It’s from a shareholders meeting they had last year

            2 votes
          2. JXM
            Link Parent
            Oh! I thought you meant a slide in their brand reputation! Like @cloud_loud said, it's from a shareholder meeting they had last year. I tried to find the video of it, but any searches related to...

            Oh! I thought you meant a slide in their brand reputation!

            Like @cloud_loud said, it's from a shareholder meeting they had last year. I tried to find the video of it, but any searches related to WB now just pull up all the news from the past 24 hours.

            1 vote
  2. [3]
    cloud_loud
    Link
    Their stock dropped after the presentation
    5 votes
    1. [2]
      EgoEimi
      Link Parent
      Unsurprising. It's not immediately clear what the product is exactly and what it offers that HBO Max and Discovery+ don't. I had no idea that they were both owned by the same company, corporation,...

      Unsurprising.

      It's not immediately clear what the product is exactly and what it offers that HBO Max and Discovery+ don't. I had no idea that they were both owned by the same company, corporation, or whatever. It kinda sounds like a rebrand-by-truncation.

      Given that ineptitude flies fine in the world of brand consulting, can I start handing out my business cards?

      4 votes
      1. Protected
        Link Parent
        It was a high profile merger, a year ago. As a viewer it was notorious for the resulting company (Warner) immediately afterwards taking an axe to their catalogue with a delicacy that made Netflix...

        It was a high profile merger, a year ago. As a viewer it was notorious for the resulting company (Warner) immediately afterwards taking an axe to their catalogue with a delicacy that made Netflix look positively friendly and enthusiastic about their IPs. Here's a random search result article I didn't vet (do note the link at the top though).

        4 votes
  3. CharlieConway
    Link
    There was a short period of time where HBO Max was establishing itself as a premiere streaming service but that ended with the Discovery takeover. This rebranding feels more like a formality than...

    There was a short period of time where HBO Max was establishing itself as a premiere streaming service but that ended with the Discovery takeover. This rebranding feels more like a formality than anything because they've already been gutting HBO Max for months. I understand that Zaslav has been very successful with Discovery but when the dust has settled and people look back at the "streaming wars" era of entertainment I just don't think the Zaslav-led Max rebranding will be considered a good move.

    3 votes
  4. [2]
    cloud_loud
    Link
    Also the Harry Potter reboot show is a go with Rowling given the title of “Executive Producer” which is a title handed out like candy during Halloween.

    Also the Harry Potter reboot show is a go with Rowling given the title of “Executive Producer” which is a title handed out like candy during Halloween.

    2 votes
  5. [3]
    shiruken
    Link
    "Max" like "Cinemax", one of their biggest brand's (HBO) major competitors.

    "Max" like "Cinemax", one of their biggest brand's (HBO) major competitors.

    1. [2]
      frostycakes
      Link Parent
      Cinemax has always been an HBO property, though.

      Cinemax has always been an HBO property, though.

      3 votes