What happened to HBO Max — why is it now called Max?

Warner Bros. Discovery rebranded HBO Max to simply Max in 2023 to reflect its broader content library beyond just HBO programming. The rebranding coincided with an integration of Discovery+ content (HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TLC, etc.) into the service. Despite the rebrand, HBO remains the premium content pillar of the platform. The name change was controversial among fans who associated the HBO brand with quality, and some content presentation changed with the merger.