Max Not Working? Some Users Report Log-In Errors, Crashes as HBO Max Converts to New Streaming Platform

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor At least initially, Netflix’s broad password crackdown appears to be producing the streamer’s desired results in converting freeloaders into paying customers in the U.S., according to early data from research company Antenna. On May 23, Netflix began notifying U.S. customers that users on their accounts who live outside their households would need to be added as an “extra member” (or get their own subscriptions). Since then, Netflix has had the four single largest days of U.S. user sign-ups since January 2019, when Antenna first began tracking the metric. Based on the most current Antenna data available, Netflix saw average daily sign-ups reached 73,000 from May 25-28, a 102% increase from the prior 60-day average. That was more than the spikes in subscriber sign-ups Antenna recorded during the initial U.S. COVID-19 lockdowns in March and April 2020.

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.

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.

The Writers Guild of America East has ratified a new union contract with CBS News Streaming. The new agreement includes board pay increases of 3% in each of the contract’s three years with the first increase retroactive to March 10, an increase to all salary minimums, a $500 ratification bonus for all employees, and further benefit improvements for the 58 members of the CBS News Streaming bargaining unit. CBS News Streaming must respond to vacation requests within specific deadlines, provide a 30-day notice period before management may change the hybrid work model and improve extra pay and comp time for individuals working between 11 and 13 hours and over 13 hours.

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.

new Max streaming platform in its first week.JB Perrette, Warner Bros. Discovery’s global streaming president, told The Wall Street Journal that 70% of the existing subscribers did move over to the new platform, which combines content from the company’s two main streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+.

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Ella Irwin, after less than seven months as head of trust and safety at Elon Musk’s Twitter, has resigned from the company. Irwin confirmed to Reuters that she resigned but did not provide a reason for her exit. Earlier, Fortune reported that Irwin’s Slack account at Twitter appeared to have been deactivated. Neither Irwin nor Musk have publicly tweeted about her departure. An email to Twitter’s press account requesting comment returned an autoreply with a poop emoji. Attempts to contact Irwin were unsuccessful. As Twitter’s head of trust and safety, Irwin oversaw enforcement of its content moderation policies. Musk, a self-described “free-speech absolutist,” has eased some restrictions in Twitter’s content policies — and reinstated thousands of previously banned accounts. Third-party groups have criticized Twitter for apparent increases in instances of hate speech and lax policy enforcement since Musk assumed control; Musk has previously denied that an increase in hate speech on Twitter.

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

Todd Spangler NY Digital Editor Vimeo is ending support for its existing TV apps — with the video management and hosting provider telling customers they’ll have a “better ongoing experience” by using video-casting features instead. The company is ceasing support for Apple TV, Android TV, Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, and Roku as of June 27, 2023. “That means we will remove the TV apps from the app stores and we will not publish any new releases, security updates or provide technical support for TV apps,” Vimeo says in a notice on its help site. Why is Vimeo ending support for its TV apps? According to the message on the customer-support site, “Occasionally, we retire legacy products and features that are no longer consistent with our standards. We believe that our users looking to view Vimeo videos will receive a better ongoing experience by casting via our mobile app, enabling customers to enjoy Vimeo content on their TV.”

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. 

After months of drama and mostly negative reviews coming from its highly-publicized Cannes debut, HBO’s newest series, “The Idol,” is finally hitting TV screens later this week.  And in honor of the series finally making its debut, HBO has released a trailer for “The Idol,” which is definitely the buzziest show of the summer. The series follows the story of a pop star who falls under the influence of a creepy nightclub owner.

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: