1 min readDeadnaming is only okay when it is targetted directly at an online platform, like calling X Twitter, or Meta Facebook, but it is made better when the platform itself is in on the joke. Max, has made itself the punchline today re-rebranding back to its original namesake, HBO Max.
Originally Max dropped the 'HBO' to be more family friendly with head of streaming JB Perette saying the brand "[wasn't where] parents would most eagerly drop off their kids." Now, chairman and CEO Casey Bloys says "...we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition." Apparently it doesn't matter if the kids come to the party or not.
This isn't the first time HBO has rebranded itself. The streaming platform was previously HBO Go, and HBO Now before turning to, and subsequently away from Max. In Australia we have only ever known the Max iteration however, with the streamer launching locally back in late March.
Before it's Australian debut, Max had 122.3 million subscribers and is aiming for at least 150 million by the end of 2026. According to president and CEO of Warner Bros Discovery David Zaslav the rebrand will "further accelerate" the platform's growth. How its entry down under has impacted this is still tbd, although predictions from Ampere indicate the Aussie market is likely to contribute around 1.2 million subscribers in its first year.
Business goals aside, HBO, Max, and the rest of the internet are poking fun of the rebrand online with a huge array of quality memes. It really is the only way to handle this kind of debrand.
