HBO Max and Discovery Plus rebrand as Max, set launch date

Lauren Milici
Updated ·2 min read
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us

Warner Bros. Discovery has announced the official merger between HBO Max and Discovery Plus, combining both streaming platforms into the simply titled Max.

“This is a real moment for us … This is our time. This is our chance, and everything is possible,” CEO David Zaslav said. “I feel like, for our company, this is our rendezvous with destiny.”

More than 40 new titles and TV show seasons are set to be added to the app each month. The tier breakdown is as follows:

  • Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality

  • Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): Two concurrent streams, 1080p HD, up to 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality

  • Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): Four concurrent streams, up to 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality

While the first two tiers are the same as HBO Max's current tier pricing, the new third tier is the only one that offers streaming in 4k.

“From the biggest superheroes to real life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice,” said JB Perrette, President and CEO of Global Streaming and Games at Warner Bros. Discovery. “This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and Discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition. While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody.”

Max is set to go live on May 23, 2023. For more, check out our list of the best new TV shows coming in 2023 and beyond.