Conan O’Brien Mocks Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max Rebranding: ‘They Used to Call It HBO, but That Was Too Popular’

Christian Zilko
·1 min read
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If you still forget to drop the “HBO” when talking about Max, take comfort in the fact that Conan O’Brien is in the same boat.

Appearing on an episode of “Hot Ones” to promote his new Max travel show “Conan O’Brien Must Go,” the late night TV legend poked some fun at his employer’s decision to rebrand the flagship Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service after years of calling it HBO Max.

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“Is it HBO Max or just Max? I can’t get used to it,” O’Brien said early in his appearance on the chicken wing-centric talk show. “It’s not a better name.”

As the episode progressed — and O’Brien’s tastebuds were subjected to more pain — the comedian became more vocal about his disdain for the rebranding. By the end, he was comically shouting about how he preferred the name HBO.

“I have a show, it’s on Max,” he said. “They used to call it HBO, but people found that too popular. So now it’s Max because that really rolls off the tongue. And it’s a funny show.”

“Conan O’Brien Must Go” sees the comic expanding on the formula behind the “Conan Without Borders” travel specials from his TBS years. The new show follows O’Brien as he travels to Norway, Ireland, Argentina, and Thailand to meet fans of his popular “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” podcast.

“Conan O’Brien Must Go” premieres Thursday, April 18 on Max. Watch O’Brien’s full appearance on “Hot Ones” below.

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