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Google PlayHBO Max and Discovery+ are expected to merge sometime next year, and when that day comes, Warner Bros. Discovery already has a name in mind: “Max.”
According to CNBC, lawyers for Warner Bros. Discovery are in the process of vetting Max as a moniker, which appears to be the top choice among most executives. A few senior execs, however, are still debating their final decision. When the unified service was discussed internally, it was referred to by the code name “Beam.”
Variety reported last month that WBD president and CEO David Zaslav announced during an earnings call that the launch of the combined streaming service was being moved up from summer to spring 2023.
“At the end of the day, putting all the content together was the only way we saw to make this a viable business,” JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games at Warner Bros. Discovery, said. “Bringing HBO Max and Discovery+ together is aimed at cutting churn so ‘there’s something for everyone in the household.’”
Since acquiring WarnerMedia earlier this year, Discovery has made sweeping changes in what have been labelled as cost-cutting measures. Films, such as Batgirl with its $90 million budget, were axed; shows, like FBoy Island, have been canceled; and content from third-party platforms like Comedy Central and Adult Swim has been pulled from HBO Max. Those early moves resulted in a reported $825 million in write-downs.
With the Max streaming service on the horizon, Zaslav has set a goal of $1 billion in earnings in streaming by 2025.
