Warner Bros. Discovery Launches Max, Revamped and Enhanced Streaming Service
Warner Bros. Discovery has officially launched its new streaming service, Max, which replaces HBO Max and comes with several subtle enhancements aimed at making the service easier to use and more engaging for subscribers. Max is also expected to be more stable than its predecessor, thanks to a newly rebuilt code base that provides a more consistent and stable performance across all devices.
According to the company, a "large portion" of HBO Max subscribers will have their apps automatically updated to Max, while others will be prompted to download an updated Max app. HBO Max subscribers will have their previous plan info, profiles, avatars, and settings including "Continue Watching" and "My List" items migrated over to the new Max.
Max comes out of the gate with more than twice the content of HBO Max, offering over 35,000 hours of programming, largely due to hundreds of shows being added from HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, Magnolia Network, and other legacy Discovery networks. The additional content includes seasons of popular shows like "House Hunters," "Property Brothers," "Chopped," "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives," "Say Yes to the Dress," "Deadliest Catch," "Fixer Upper," "Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines," and more.
The new Max appalso features simplified navigation, streamlined categories, improved content details pages, dedicated brand hubs, and thematic content rails to make finding content and discovering new TV shows and movies faster and easier. Max offers a default kids profile for new subscribers, along with accompanying parental controls, including the ability to limit content by ratings, lock access to adult profiles, and prevent kids from exiting a kids' profile.
Personalization features have also been improved, with content recommendations now available across the whole service, based on viewing activity. After finishing a show or TV season, a new end-card recommendation will suggest other content to watch.
In addition, Max is available in three tiers, two with the same pricing as HBO Max's previous plans plus a new premium option that includes 4K Ultra HD content and up to four concurrent streams. The expanded 4K UHD content catalog will comprise more than 1,000 movies and TV episodes, including all Warner Bros. movies released this year and going forward when they arrive on Max following their theatrical windows.
Max will also have more than 350 profile icons for users to choose from, including new avatars for characters from Harry Potter, "The Last of Us," "The White Lotus," "Peacemaker," and Discovery shows like "Chip & Joanna Gaines from 'Fixer Upper'," "Guy Fieri from 'Diners, Drive-ins & Dives'," and "Bobby Flay from 'Beat Bobby Flay'," among others.
The ad experience on the Max With Ads plan will continue to offer one of the lightest ad loads in the industry, with 3-4 minutes of ads per hour. Max will combine ad formats from HBO Max and Discovery+, including traditional pre-roll and mid-roll ads, takeovers, Brand Block, IN Front, interactive ads, and pause ads that display on screen when a customer initiates a pause.
At launch, Max will feature 6,500 hours of audio descriptive content and support screen reader technology on various platforms. WBD has set up "war rooms" in multiple locations worldwide to monitor the service's performance and address any issues promptly.
Overall, Max promises to offer a more engaging and stable streaming service for subscribers, with more content, simplified navigation, improved personalization features, and an expanded 4K UHD content catalog. With Warner Bros. Discovery's vast library of content and a commitment to customer feedback, Max is poised to be a major player in the streaming market.