Warner Bros Discovery might drop the ‘HBO’ from ‘HBO Max’

Can you imagine a future where HBO doesn’t exist? Apparently, Warner Bros Discovery does.

As reported by CNBC, the company is reportedly nearing a name for its new streaming service which is set to combine the existing HBO Max and Discovery+ services. According to sources, HBO Max and Discovery+ could be thrown away and, instead, a new “Max” streaming service could emerge.

The merged platform’s expected name, “Max,” is being vetted by the company’s lawyers, according to people familiar with the matter.

While other names are still in the running, it appears that “Max” is the frontrunner. According to the report, the company is using a codename of “BEAM” internally.

Executives haven’t finalized a decision and the name could still be changed, but Max is the likely choice, said the people, who asked not to be named because the discussions are private. Some senior executives are still debating a final name, said two of the people. Internally, Warner Bros. Discovery has given the new service a code name of “BEAM” while a final name is being debated, said the people. Lawyers are vetting other names, as well.

A spokesperson from Warner Bros. Discovery responded to CNBC’s report saying that a name “was still being discussed.” In addition to the title, the company is still discussing the price of the new, combined streaming service should cost. This means that everyone could be in for a price hike once the two services merge.

David Zaslav, the Chief Executive Officer of Warner Bros. Discovery, responded to questions about Discovery content starting to appear in the HBO Max by saying “these early green shoots bolster our strategic thesis that the two content offerings work well together and when combined, should drive greater engagement, lower churn, and higher customer lifetime value.”

We’ll have to wait and see what happens, but one thing is for sure. A streaming service containing HBO content without being called HBO itself is likely to anger a lot of fans of the brand.