She’s back, boys — and by she, I of course mean HBO Max, who was rudely stripped of her coveted HBO title some time ago. But rest assured, no one will ever have to say the forgettable Max name again, because it will once again be paired with the unforgettable HBO.
The streamer pushed out a press release to honor the switch on July 9 as it went into effect, and it seems as though it understands that folks might see the return to form as a little comical. “It’s good to be Home,” is all the statement says in the release.
The brand also released a promo highlighting its expansive catalog of shows and movies, both original programming and key titles it has acquired that audiences love. The advertisement ends with the same tagline — “It’s good to be Home” — and highlights the new-old name, with a reminder that plans start at $9.99, naturally.
HBO Max was first launched in May 2020. Three years later, Warner Bros. Discovery — who had merged in April 2022 — rebranded the streamer to Max, dropping the legacy brand’s name from the service altogether in May 2023. However, that lasted for a short two years, as the company announced in May 2025 that it would be returning to the original name.
When it revealed the second rebrand, WBD noted that the legacy of HBO is, in fact, an asset to brand identity on the whole. “This evolution has also been influenced by changing consumer needs, and the fact that no consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content,” WBD said in a statement.
The company added: “With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50+ years than HBO. Returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering.
“It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”
Lex Briscuso is film and television critic and a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on Twitter at @nikonamerica.
