It really feels like we’re in the Cassandra Timeline, wherein we know the consequences that will follow a certain action, yet the world doesn’t listen and drags us all along to learn everything the hard way instead. Two years ago, as Warner Bros. and Discovery were solidifying their merger under the inauspicious tutelage of David Zaslav, they decided to take the HBO out of HBO Max. The idea was to centralize all the HBO, Discovery, and WB content into one app to rule them all. Does that theory make sense? Sure. Was it still one of the most predictably bone-headed marketing decisions? Definitely. So, it’s upfronts season in NYC, the time of year when networks and streamers preview next year’s programming to advertisers and media buyers. And Zaslav just announced that the app formerly known as HBO Max, will henceforth again be known as HBO Max:
In a press release, WBD said “returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success.”
…“The powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming,” Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav told the audience in the Theater at Madison Square Garden. “Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate that growth in the years ahead.”
WBD’s naming flip-flopping for its flagship streaming service — which has caused more than a little confusion among consumers — amounts to an admission by the company it can’t be as broad as the industry leader, Netflix. The original justification for dropping HBO from HBO Max was to signal a something-for-everyone content cornucopia.
Warner Bros. Discovery president and CEO of streaming JB Perrette added: “We will continue to focus on what makes us unique — not everything for everyone in a household, but something distinct and great for adults and families. It’s really not subjective, not even controversial — our programming just hits different.”
“With the course we are on and strong momentum we are enjoying, we believe HBO Max far better represents our current consumer proposition,” Casey Bloys, chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, said. “And it clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for.”
The social media team at Warner Bros. Discovery clearly knew the internet would have a field day with the news of the reversion of the streamer’s name to HBO Max — and tried to get in front of memes about the switcheroo. “These rebrands are trying to murder me,” the (soon-to-be-defunct) Stream on Max account said in its updated bio on X Wednesday.
After the coming change back to HBO Max was announced at the upfront, WBD relaunched its dormant HBO Max accounts on social media.
“What is dead may never die,” the newly resurrected HBO Max on X account posted, featuring a clip from “Game of Thrones” Season 6 of Jon Snow coming back to life. “HBO Max coming this summer. Same app, new-ish name.”
Sure enough, as I was writing this I got an email from HBO touting the move: “The plot twist everyone’s been waiting for: HBO Max! Coming Home this summer.” They kind of have to poke fun at themselves with the marketing, considering they instigated this whole redundant journey, right? Also, this bit got to me: “It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach…” Ah, so I guess after WBD canned Batgirl for a tax write-off, they simply had to then also tank Scoob! Holiday Haunt and Coyote vs. Acme (twice!), as part of “boldly iterating” their strategy. Look, I could rag on David Zaslav for days for any number of his toothless decisions. Like the aforementioned canning of already-completed films, or killing promising niche-genre series, or offending writers and creators writ large. But instead of enumerating his many, many faults, I’m gonna take this opportunity to commend the man for fixing a mistake, even when doing so causes him public embarrassment. We should all be so willing to correct course when needed. So in that spirit, Mr. Zaslav, please, for the love of Bugs in a world gone daffy, will you now reinstate the classic Looney Tunes already?!
Photo note by CB: Don’t f-k up Sinners’s distribution!!
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Photos credit: Avalon.red, Nicky Nelson/Wenn/Avalon, Getty and via Logos.fandom.com
