Go Back  DVD Talk Forum > Entertainment Discussions > Streaming Talk
Reload this Page >

Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Community
Search
Streaming Talk The Place to talk about streaming video and audio
Old 01-01-24, 02:32 PM
DVD Talk Forum Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: TheBang
Where to find What's New and Leaving each month on MAX:
https://press.wbd.com/us/brands/max/media-releases
Print Wikipost

Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 12-15-22, 08:45 AM
  #1801  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 44,233
Received 1,943 Likes on 1,504 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

https://deadline.com/2022/12/raised-by-wolves-the-time-travelers-wife-amongtitles-being-removed-from-hbo-max-as-warner-bros-discovery-lines-up-fast-plans-1235199433/

More titles being removed, with seeming confirmation that they want to sell them to ad supported services. Earlier they admitted they're taking a bigger write off than originally announced as well.
This comes as more shows are being removed from the streaming service including Raised By Wolves, Head of the Class and The Time Traveler’s Wife as well as reality shows FBoy Island, Legendary and Finding Magic Mike.The company is taking these shows, most of which were previously known to be canceled (only Finding Magic Mike is newly scrapped), off the platform and instead put together a package of shows to license to third-party FAST channels.

While many of these shows are produced by other studios including the likes of Scout Productions and STX, sources said that arrangements have been made even if complete deals haven’t closed.

Westworld, the Warner Bros TV-produced series that Deadline revealed was being lined up for free streaming, is also among this list of shows, alongside The Nevers.

Meanwhile, the rights to Gordita Chronicles, Love Life, Made For Love, The Garcias and Minx, which have been canceled, are reverting to the producers and studios behind them. The company said that it is speaking with studio partners about opportunities to “further expand the reach of the shows, including but not limited to licensing the series to third-party FAST platforms”.
“All those write-offs… we didn’t take one show off a platform that is going to help us in any way,” he added on a recent earnings call.
edited to add: geez at that auto gif in the url. But appropriate for Zaslav I guess.
Old 12-15-22, 10:05 AM
  #1802  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,951
Received 2,743 Likes on 1,889 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Zaslav is doing to HBO and Warners what Elon Musk is doing to Twitter.
The following users liked this post:
OldBoy (12-15-22)
Old 12-15-22, 10:07 AM
  #1803  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 44,233
Received 1,943 Likes on 1,504 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Zaslav is doing to HBO and Warners what Elon Musk is doing to Twitter.
Hey, give credit where it's due, Zaslav was doing it first.
Old 12-15-22, 11:42 AM
  #1804  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,667
Received 59 Likes on 47 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

I'm rather annoyed they're licensing to FAST platforms specifically and not paid platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Apple TV+.
Old 12-15-22, 11:50 AM
  #1805  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Cellar Door's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 11,725
Received 1,020 Likes on 630 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

I hope they keep Warrior at least until season 3 airs.
Old 12-16-22, 07:05 AM
  #1806  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,951
Received 2,743 Likes on 1,889 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by randian
I'm rather annoyed they're licensing to FAST platforms specifically and not paid platforms like Netflix, Hulu, or Apple TV+.
Yeah, that's really weird when you think about it.

For decades, HBO was a premium brand. They were creating prestige programming like Sex and the City and The Sopranos. Twenty years ago, these were huge pop culture phenomenons, and also closely identified with the HBO brand.

So when you see them stripping the carcass and selling off even recent prestige shows to junk peddlers like Tubi, it's kind of alarming and feels like the old HBO is no more.

It's like if Apple started letting companies that sell cheap MP3 players license the "iPod" name. You really get a sense that they're letting go.

Old 12-16-22, 07:20 AM
  #1807  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,951
Received 2,743 Likes on 1,889 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Jay G.
Ugh. That's like if one of the other streaming services renamed themselves to "Plus."

It also seems like it could cause confusion with the DMAX (Discovery Max) channel:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DMAX_(Spanish_TV_channel)

Keeping the name HBO Max and just adding Discovery content too it seems like the smartest move, but I guess that the new heads that came from Discovery didn't want to admit HBO had better branding than Discovery. Outside of that though, I'm not sure what a good name would be. Maybe go outside the box like NBC Universal did with the Peacock name?
I may be completely mis-reading this, but I was always under the impression that the "Max" part of "HBO Max" was in refernce to its sister channel Cinemax.

So if they're dropping the "HBO" from "HBO Max," it sounds like they're completely dropping the HBO part of the name in favor the Cinemax part.

It's a strange and disturbing corporate movie. I agree that it would have been smarter to fold the Discovery content into HBO Max and keep that name. Discovery has been a joke for a long time, crapping out an endless stream of reality schlock like Naked and Afraid, American Chopper, and Deadliest Catch. It does come off like a spiteful move on the part of Discovery, but it's also keeping up the trend of Warners getting bought by some third party then being their bitch, like in the "AOL-Time Warner" days.

The weird thing about Warners is that they're always being bought up by companies like AOL, AT&T, and Discovery, and you're just kind of scratching your head, thinking that it should be the other way around.
Old 12-16-22, 07:49 AM
  #1808  
Moderator
 
dex14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 45,067
Likes: 0
Received 4,584 Likes on 3,103 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Yeah, that's really weird when you think about it.

For decades, HBO was a premium brand. They were creating prestige programming like Sex and the City and The Sopranos. Twenty years ago, these were huge pop culture phenomenons, and also closely identified with the HBO brand.

So when you see them stripping the carcass and selling off even recent prestige shows to junk peddlers like Tubi, it's kind of alarming and feels like the old HBO is no more.

It's like if Apple started letting companies that sell cheap MP3 players license the "iPod" name. You really get a sense that they're letting go.
It's really not that much different than when they licensed Sex and the City to E! or The Sopranos to A&E. Worse because they were edited.

I think a lot of this situation is getting blown way out of proportion.
Old 12-16-22, 08:38 AM
  #1809  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 45,336
Received 1,023 Likes on 813 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

But at least Sex and the City and the Sopranos remain ready to stream.

It's the removing of Warner-produced material from HBO Max outright that is surprising, not the licensing of it to Ad-supported platforms.

I do wonder if they'll stay in rotation on HBO channels though, since they seem to be working to distance HBO Max from HBO proper?

Last edited by RichC2; 12-16-22 at 08:54 AM.
Old 12-16-22, 08:53 AM
  #1810  
DVD Talk Special Edition
 
Join Date: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,667
Received 59 Likes on 47 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
it sounds like they're completely dropping the HBO part of the name in favor the Cinemax part. It's a strange and disturbing corporate move.
They're already dropping the "HBO Max" branding, with "Originals" now calling themselves "Max Originals" rather than "HBO Max Originals".
Old 12-16-22, 10:45 AM
  #1811  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 44,233
Received 1,943 Likes on 1,504 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
I may be completely mis-reading this, but I was always under the impression that the "Max" part of "HBO Max" was in refernce to its sister channel Cinemax.

So if they're dropping the "HBO" from "HBO Max," it sounds like they're completely dropping the HBO part of the name in favor the Cinemax part.

It's a strange and disturbing corporate movie. I agree that it would have been smarter to fold the Discovery content into HBO Max and keep that name. Discovery has been a joke for a long time, crapping out an endless stream of reality schlock like Naked and Afraid, American Chopper, and Deadliest Catch. It does come off like a spiteful move on the part of Discovery, but it's also keeping up the trend of Warners getting bought by some third party then being their bitch, like in the "AOL-Time Warner" days.

The weird thing about Warners is that they're always being bought up by companies like AOL, AT&T, and Discovery, and you're just kind of scratching your head, thinking that it should be the other way around.
We all originally thought the Max part was referring to Cinemax, but they didn't start putting Cinemax originals on until way after the service started (and I'm not sure they even put everything on there, I'm pretty sure they left off all the racy stuff), so really it was just "maxing out HBO" or something to that effect.

Also I don't think there's that much overreacting. They are in extreme extreme cost cutting mode which is not good. If Netflix took, say, Stranger Things off their service to peddle somewhere else, similar eyebrows would be raised.
The following users liked this post:
Jay G. (12-16-22)
Old 12-16-22, 12:12 PM
  #1812  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,951
Received 2,743 Likes on 1,889 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by dex14
It's really not that much different than when they licensed Sex and the City to E! or The Sopranos to A&E. Worse because they were edited.
Yeah, and I thought that was a weird move all around, too.

One, that HBO would rent out their crown jewel to a commercial-supported cable station while it was still in production. And, on top of that, the episodes would be censored and filled with commercials for Taco Bell and class action settlements.

Two, that A&E paid out two hundred million dollars for the rights to a watered down show, then seemed to barely show it.
Old 12-16-22, 12:47 PM
  #1813  
Moderator
 
dex14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 45,067
Likes: 0
Received 4,584 Likes on 3,103 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by fujishig

Also I don't think there's that much overreacting. They are in extreme extreme cost cutting mode which is not good. If Netflix took, say, Stranger Things off their service to peddle somewhere else, similar eyebrows would be raised.
Nothing they’ve removed is anywhere near the level of Stranger Things.

Westworld stopped being high profile. People stopped watching it. $160mil was spent on a fourth season with abysmal ratings. They needed to find a way to get a ROI.
Old 12-16-22, 02:50 PM
  #1814  
DVD Talk Limited Edition
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Location: Chicago, IL
Posts: 6,667
Received 272 Likes on 201 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

It looks like all these shows they've announced as leaving show as "Leaving December 18". Does that mean they'll be there all day Sunday? Or will they disappear after Saturday?

I'm currently trying to binge the second season of "Raised by Wolves" and "FBoy Island" before they leave, but not sure I can do it by the end of Saturday.
Old 12-17-22, 03:52 PM
  #1815  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Josh-da-man's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: The Bible Belt
Posts: 43,951
Received 2,743 Likes on 1,889 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Are they pulling stuff that originated on HBO proper (like Westworld) from On Demand, too?
Old 12-17-22, 04:01 PM
  #1816  
DVD Talk Legend
 
whotony's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: ^ Kristen Bell
Posts: 23,054
Received 603 Likes on 435 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Probably
Old 12-17-22, 05:44 PM
  #1817  
DVD Talk Legend
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Posts: 19,684
Received 650 Likes on 450 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Josh-da-man
Are they pulling stuff that originated on HBO proper (like Westworld) from On Demand, too?
Originally Posted by whotony
Probably
Streaming and cable "on demand" are different services though, with different licenses, so WBD can license out streaming rights while keeping them on HBO On Demand on cable, so it's not a sure thing.

It's a bit like when Starz and Showtime had licensed out their content to Netflix before both started their own streaming services, but the content was still on cable on-demand.
Old 12-20-22, 02:47 PM
  #1818  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 44,233
Received 1,943 Likes on 1,504 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Titles coming and leaving. That's a lot of titles leaving. Justice League, Justice League Unlimited, and Batman Brave and the Bold? My son's gonna be crushed.

https://pressroom.warnermedia.com/us...bo-max-january

January 31:

12 Years A Slave, 2013 (HBO)

Abduction, 2011 (HBO)

Amityville 3-D, 1983 (HBO)

Amityville II: The Possession, 1982 (HBO)

Aquaman (1967)

At Close Range, 1986 (HBO)

At First Sight, 1999 (HBO)

Bananas, 1971 (HBO)

Batman: The Brave and the Bold

Biker Boyz, 2003 (HBO)

Boogie, 2021 (HBO)

Borg vs. Mcenroe, 2018 (HBO)

Care Bears: Unlock the Magic

Cellular, 2004 (HBO)

The Champ, 1979

Chinatown, 1974 (HBO)

Chocolate City, 2015 (HBO)

Chopped: Holiday

Chopped: Thanksgiving

Code of Silence, 1985 (HBO)

Confidence, 2003 (HBO)

Daybreakers, 2010 (HBO)

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, 2016

Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, 2018

Fools Rush In, 1997

Gang Related, 1997 (HBO)

Good Deeds, 2012 (HBO)

Head of the Class (1986)

Holiday Baking Championship, Season 7

Holiday Baking Championship, Season 8

Horsemen, 2009 (HBO)

Hyde Park on the Hudson, 2012 (HBO)

I, Robot, 2004 (HBO)

Jeff, Who Lives At Home, 2012 (HBO)

John Wick, 2014

John Wick: Chapter 2, 2017

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum, 2017

Jurassic Park, 1993 (HBO)

Jurassic Park III, 2001 (HBO)

Justice League

Justice League Unlimited

Kick-Ass 2, 2013 (HBO)

Land, 2021 (HBO)

Le Divorce, 2003 (HBO)

Life of Pi, 2012 (HBO)

Little Men, 2016 (HBO)

Macbeth, 2015 (HBO)

Much Ado About Nothing, 1993 (HBO)

The New Adventures of Old Christine

The Next Karate Kid, 1994

Nostalgia, 2018 (HBO)

Rango, 2011 (HBO)

Riddick, 2013 (Director’s Cut) (HBO)

Rules of Engagement, 2000 (HBO)

Running Scared, 1986(HBO)

School Ties, 1992 (HBO)

Solaris, 2002(HBO)

Soul Food, 1997 (HBO)

Source Code, 2011

Suite Francaise, 2014 (HBO)

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, 2007 (HBO)

The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl, 2005 (HBO)

The Book Thief, 2013 (HBO)

The Care Bears Movie, 1985 (HBO)

The Con is On, 2018 (HBO)

The Core, 2003 (HBO)

The Dead Zone, 1983 (HBO)

The Help, 2011 (HBO)

The Lost World: Jurassic Park, 1997 (HBO)

The Next Three Days, 2010 (HBO)

The One I Love, 2014 (HBO)

The Possession, 2012 (Extended Version) (HBO)

The Untouchables, 1987 (HBO)

Thirteen, 2003 (HBO)

Transcendence, 2014 (HBO)

Two Can Play That Game, 2001

West Side Story, 1961 (HBO)

Zero Dark Thirty, 2012
edited to add: oh, maybe this is their deal with amazon.
https://bamsmackpow.com/2022/12/03/w...n-deal-amazon/
Old 12-26-22, 01:31 PM
  #1819  
Senior Member
 
New Lurker's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 533
Received 73 Likes on 54 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

I always thought the Max part of HBO was referring to HBO to the max, or HBO maximum. Like the highest level of HBO. Never even crossed my mind that it had anything to do with Cinemax, because it was pretty obvious it didn't lol.

It's already been said but taking the HBO brand name off is a head scratcher. Until you realize if they have a new app that isn't HBO branded, they'll be able to double charge. You want HBO? Buy HBO through your cable. You want Max? Buy that too, to get access to HBO stuff online. They're rolling back the clock to when HBO & HBO Now were separate entities. It's greedy & it's gross. It also auto cancels all the marketing deals out there that offer "HBO Max" for free like AT&T phone subscribers get. Can't get something for free that doesn't exist anymore.

Capitalism sucks.
Old 01-12-23, 10:33 AM
  #1820  
Moderator
 
dex14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 45,067
Likes: 0
Received 4,584 Likes on 3,103 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

Warner Bros. Discovery is raising the monthly price of HBO Max for the first time since launching it more than two years ago.

Effective Thursday, Jan. 12, the price of a new HBO Max ad-free monthly subscription in the U.S. will increase from $14.99 to $15.99 plus applicable taxes. That’s about a 7% increase. Existing HBO Max subscribers who are currently paying $14.99/month will see their monthly rate increase to $15.99 effective their next billing cycle on or after Saturday, Feb. 11, 2023.

“This price increase of one dollar will allow us to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users,” the company said in a statement.

HBO Max launched in May 2020 at $14.99/month, back when it was part of AT&T-owned WarnerMedia. In June 2021, the company introduced an ad-supported HBO Max plan that costs $9.99/month; it isn’t immediately clear if the price of that package also will be increasing.

Warner Bros. Discovery is prepping a merged HBO Max-Discovery+ platform, set to launch in the U.S. in the spring of 2023. The company hasn’t announced details on pricing, packaging or a name yet (although “Max” is the leading contender at this point).
https://variety.com/2023/digital/new...ihvve6AFi3LEsI
Old 01-12-23, 10:40 AM
  #1821  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Join Date: Aug 1999
Posts: 44,233
Received 1,943 Likes on 1,504 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

That price increase seems ok, but coupled with everything else going on with the company/service...
Old 01-12-23, 12:00 PM
  #1822  
DVD Talk Hero
 
Why So Blu?'s Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 38,225
Received 1,192 Likes on 918 Posts
re: Max — Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service

I paid for the year at that low price a couple of months ago, so don't know if that will be affected.
Old 01-12-23, 12:16 PM
  #1823  
DVD Talk Gold Edition
 
Join Date: Feb 2004
Posts: 2,129
Received 79 Likes on 57 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Originally Posted by Why So Blu?
I paid for the year at that low price a couple of months ago, so don't know if that will be affected.
You won’t be until it is time to renew.
Old 01-12-23, 01:17 PM
  #1824  
Moderator
 
dex14's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Posts: 45,067
Likes: 0
Received 4,584 Likes on 3,103 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Gotta make sure they cash in on any new signs up The Last of Us will bring.
Old 01-12-23, 03:16 PM
  #1825  
DVD Talk God
 
Deftones's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 1999
Location: Arizona
Posts: 81,031
Received 1,366 Likes on 928 Posts
Re: HBO Max — Warnermedia streaming service

Pay us more....for less!
The following users liked this post:
Alan Smithee (01-13-23)


Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.