Max Launch Draws 70% of HBO Max, Discovery+ Customers

Jennifer Maas TV Business Writer HBO and Max chief Casey Bloys thinks AI has no place in the creative process at his brands. “Two things to keep in mind when I say this: One is, remember I grew up in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, which is Steel Town,” Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, told Variety co-editor-in-chief Cynthia Littleton during a keynote conversation Wednesday at the Variety TV FYC Fest. “So I am very, very aware of what happens when a company does not think about the future or is not aware of the future. But also, I’ve been at HBO for 19 years and I have never tested a pilot to decide whether to pick it up or not. We just don’t use all of the things other places do, it’s just not something we do. So my take on AI, the idea that AI would be involved in any sort of development or the creative process in the kinds of shows that I do, or we do, at HBO, that’s not something I want to be a part of.

There are a lot of updates coming in from HBO and HBO Max (which is actually just called “Max” at this time).

The HBO Original documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore reveals the life of the titular actress, producer and philanthropist who dazzled family, friends and fans both on and off screen until her death in 2017.

The HBO Original documentary Being Mary Tyler Moore reveals the life of the titular actress, producer and philanthropist who dazzled family, friends and fans both on and off screen until her death in 2017.

Editor’s note: These interview was done outside of the FYC event as there was no cast or creatives panel as a part of the event.

Editor’s note: The following interviews were done outside of the FYC event series, as there was no panel or screening.

HBO and HBO Max (which actually no longer exists and is now called “Max”) have been making a lot of decisions about their cancellations and renewals this year, and we’re bringing you the full recap of everything that has happened.

Heléne Yorke, Drew Tarver, Case Walker and Ken Marino are revealing the secrets behind the success of the Max comedy series The Other Two, as part of Deadline’s FYC House + HBO Max event series. New episodes air on Thursday nights via Max.

HBO and HBO Max (which actually no longer exists) have been making a lot of decisions about their cancellations and renewals this year, and we’re bringing you the full recap of everything that has happened.

Love to Love You, Donna Summer is not just a documentary, it’s a hymn to the life and times of the indisputable queen of disco. The film conveys Donna Summer’s journey from the gospel churches of Boston to the dance floors that defined an era. Directed by first-time helmer and Summer’s daughter Brooklyn Sudano and Roger Ross Williams (The Apollo, Traveling While Black), Love to Love You weaves together interviews, footage and the singer’s infectious music to deliver a new perspective on the life of a vocal powerhouse. As part of the Deadline FYC House + HBO Max Event series, we spoke with Sudano, Williams and producer David Blackman on the red carpet at the New York premiere. 

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor “It’s not TV. It’s HBO.” That’s the premium cable network slogan that single-handedly changed the television landscape forever and ushered in the Peak TV era. The Home Box Office turned 50 in November 2022, and Variety celebrated its Golden Year by ranking the best performances in its history.

Amid the HBO Max rebrand, Succession is ending after four seasons on the premium cable network. The Roy family is at odds with each other and the drama is set to start at 9 p.m. ET and 6 p.m. PT on HBO.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor This week, HBO Max faded to black — and was reborn as Max. But many people are still wondering: Why did Warner Bros. Discovery decide to change the name? HBO, after all, remains a solid-gold brand representing premium-quality original TV shows, going back decades, from “The Sopranos” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm” to “Game of Thrones” and “Succession.” Meanwhile, Max, as observers have pointed out, is a pretty generic name from a branding standpoint. (Note that the Twitter handle @Max belongs to Instacart co-founder Max Mullen, while on Instagram it’s held by hockey star Max Domi, a forward for the Dallas Stars.) Here are the two basic reasons Warner Bros. Discovery chose to excise HBO from the HBO Max with the relaunch:

Another brand-defining, Best Drama Emmy-winning HBO series is coming to an end this Sunday when Succession airs its finale. Just like when each of its esteemed predecessors, The Sopranos and Game Of Thrones, ended, there is the inevitable succession question about what comes next.

relaunched as Max — and streaming competitor Peacock took the opportunity to make an NSFW joke.NBCUniversal’s streamer took a hilarious dig at HBO Max’s rebrand for dropping the first half of its name, letting everyone know that they will not be following suit.“I know you’re all very disappointed, but I will *not* be dropping the first half of my name any time soon,” the official account tweeted.Peacock got its name thanks to NBC’s iconic colorful logo that looks like the animal, though jokes have often been made around the “c- -k” part of the name.The tweet was reposted to the streamer’s Instagram account, and those running the social media account enjoyed responding to people in the comments.“Your social media person deserves a raise for this one,” one person suggested, to which the account responded, “brb sending this to my boss.”Another told the brand to “live a little,” and the account replied that those were “my words to legal exactly.”I know you’re all very disappointed, but I will *not* be dropping the first half of my name any time soon

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The rebranding of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform HBO Max became effective today with Max officially launching.

HBO Max and Discovery+ have merged into one streaming platform called, simply, Max. This comes following the announcement in April that the two services would combine.“From the biggest superheroes to real-life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice,” said JB Perrette the President & CEO of Global Streaming & Games at Warner Bros.

Selome Hailu After more than a year of fanfare caused by the 2022 merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery, David Zaslav’s WBD has finally launched Max. Branded as “the one to watch,” the new streaming service combines the offerings of HBO Max and Discovery+ into one platform. In April, WBD held an event announcing the name, launch date, ethos and next steps of the brand. Along with unveiling flashy (and controversial) plans like a new “Harry Potter” series, company execs also explained the decision to drop the prestigious HBO name from the title of the service: In short, they want to be clear that the acclaimed but certainly adult-leaning programming HBO is famous for is only a portion of the content available on Max.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor It’s the big launch day for Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max — and the newly revamped streaming service appears to encountering some technical problems right off the bat. On Wednesday morning, subscribers took to social media to complain that they were having logging in to Max, which is replacing the three-year-old HBO Max service. As reported by users, the issues spanned the Max.com website as well as mobile apps including iOS and connected-TV apps on Roku and Samsung TV. Of course, there are bound to be some problems in migrating millions of customers over to a new streaming platform. A Warner Bros. Discovery rep declined to specify how widespread the issues that users are encountering may be. The May 23 conversion from HBO Max to Max covers only the U.S.