What’s The Difference & What’s New?

As of May 23, 2023, the streaming service HBO Max will be relaunched as MAX, and there are a few changes that audiences will want to know about. This change comes after a long line of mergers and rebranding, such as the joining of WarnerMedia and Discovery into Warner Bros Discovery. Now, Discovery+ will be adding its strength to HBO Max, so that movie and TV enthusiasts can enjoy a wider variety of content on the newly-christened MAX. However, this naturally brings up several questions.

Thanks to HBO’s many hit series, such as Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire, it has long been established as a leading TV network. This made their streaming service, HBO Max, just as popular, especially as cable TV began to give way to the flexible world of streaming. Now, HBO Max is going through some changes, and questions about what to expect, what movies and series will or will not be available, and how much the new service will cost are likely to be on the minds of the app’s frequent fliers. Thankfully, the transition to MAX should not only be painless but will offer users more options.

What Is MAX?

MAX is a streaming service that looks and feels a lot like its predecessor, HBO Max. It comes from the 2022 union of WarnerMedia and Discovery into Warner Bros Discovery. This means that a lot of the content audiences previously enjoyed on two separate streaming platforms, HBO Max and Discovery+, will be joined together in one convenient location. The idea here is that MAX will have a little something for everyone. The service brags with its new motto that it is “the one to watch” and covers everything from comedy and family movies to home improvement, reality TV, and documentaries.

How MAX Is Different From HBO Max

HBO Max was simply an expansion of the HBO television network and allowed audiences to stream their favorite HBO series and movies without the constraints of cable. Conversely, MAX is a brand-new service that will give subscribers a wider variety of content—especially real-life entertainment. This means audiences can turn to MAX to watch HBO films and TV favorites such as those from the DC Universe and Wizarding World franchise, as well as unscripted content from Discovery+ like House Hunters and 90-Day Fiancé.

What’s New On MAX That HBO Max Didn’t Have?

The future is bright for MAX, and within a week after the streaming service’s May 23 launch, several new series and movies will be available for subscribers to enjoy. This will include the special 100 Years of Warner Bros. (May 25), the MAX original Vgly (May 25), HGTV’s 100 Day Dream Home (May 26), HBO Original Being Mary Tyler Moore (May 26), Guy Ranch Kitchen (May 27), Sarah Silverman: Someone You Love (May 27), Otter Dynasty (May 28), the HBO Original Reality (May 29), and much more. This is only the beginning, and major series such as the 10-year Harry Potter remake and the Game of Thrones prequel, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, are promised for the coming years.

Of course, MAX subscribers won’t have to wait any time at all to access more content than had been available on HBO Max. The streaming service boasts that more than 35,000 hours of programming will be available at launch, at least double that of its predecessor. This will include many Discovery+ favorites, like 197 seasons of House Hunters, 24 seasons of Ghost Adventures, 21 seasons of Mythbusters—and much much more. Then, in addition to the content added from Discovery+, MAX’s May 23 rollout will include the following lineup:

• Bama Rush (Max Original)
• Clone High, Season 1 (Max Original)
• German Genius (Max Original)
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019)
• Gremlins: Secrets Of The Mogwai, Season 1 (Max Original)
• Growing Floret (Magnolia Network)
• How To Create A Sex Scandal (Max Original)
• Maine Cabin Masters, Season 8 (Magnolia Network)
• Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
• SmartLess: On The Road (Max Original)
• Talking Sopranos Podcast
• Villainous, Season 1A (Cartoon Network)
• What Am I Eating? With Zooey Deschanel (Max Original)
• Windy City Rehab (HGTV)

What Happens To HBO?

Warner Bros Media has chopped off the ‘HBO’ from HBO Max, but that doesn’t mean the television network is no more. Audiences can still expect to see the familiar name among their cable networks, and HBO Originals will be aplenty on the new MAX streaming service. However, the HBO Max app will no longer exist after May 23. In the case of most devices, this will mean minimal action, as user login and settings will be automatically transferred to MAX.

If existing or past subscribers had HBO Max installed on Amazon, Cox, Roku, VIZIO TV, or Xfinity, they only need to find the MAX app and open it. For Android, Apple, DIRECTV, LG TV, PlayStation, Samsung TV, and Xbox, users can open their HBO Max app and select the prompted “download” button. Once completed, they should not need to sign in, assuming they have already logged in to the HBO Max app. Only two features will not transfer from HBO Max’s user profiles: movie and show downloads and custom profile pictures.

MAX Pricing, Tiers & Features

Subscribers to HBO Max won’t see any immediate change in the price of their services. MAX includes the same basic subscription plans—with ads and ad-free—with the same monthly and yearly fees as before. However, the brand-new streaming service will also offer a third option called the Ultimate Ad-Free Plan which will include some exciting new features. Altogether, this tiered system will offer even more options:

The transition from HBO Max to MAX will automatically transfer existing subscribers to their correlating plan (which means they will continue paying the same price), and the option to upgrade to the new Ultimate Ad-Free plan will be available in the app’s settings. For new users who are inspired to sign up for one of MAX’s tiered plans, the streaming service recommends first checking to see if HBO is included in their internet service, wireless plans, or TV packages. From there, all the new exciting features, series, movies, and more that MAX has to offer will be only a swipe or click away.