A CNBC report published that Warner Bros. Discovery is currently testing whether the Max name could be used for a Discovery+/HBO Max combo.
The outlet said executives are close to adopting the name, after making final checks on the two streaming services, though a final decision has yet to be made and could still be changed. BEAM was being used internally while a new name was being finalized.
The service will launch next year and will carry existing content from Discovery+ and HBO Max. At the same time, it may have different titles in some European markets where HBO has a production deal in place, such as its long-term partnership with Sky.
Eurosport is also likely to be included in the UK market with premium content from BT Sport. Subscribers to the premium sports channel can now claim free access to Discovery+.
While the HBO name would disappear from the new service, ending a string of names that also included HBO Go and HBO Now, it would instead become a sub-brand.
In August, JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games, explained that while HBO Max has a competitive feature set, it had suffered from performance and client issues. Discovery+ has best-in-class performance and consumer ratings, but more limited features.
The two services will migrate to a single technology stack, based on Discovery’s core infrastructure, but which will include «important feature enhancements» from HBO Max.
