HBO Max unveils streaming service Max with a slate of fresh original series, no word on India launch though

Warner Bros Discovery has officially announced the rebranding of HBO Max to "Max", which will go live on May 23 in the United States. The new streaming service will combine programming from both HBO Max and Discovery, as the company aims to simplify the streaming experience for consumers and stand out in the crowded streaming market. 

What

The $43 billion merger between WarnerMedia and Discovery, which was finalised a year ago, had streaming at its core. Now, Max will offer a vast range of programming, including Max and HBO originals, Warner Bros films, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and kids content, as well as programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle, and documentaries from leading brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, and more.

Max will also introduce a default kids profile for new subscribers along with accompanying parental controls, with parents having the ability to customise settings and limit content for the kids profile by ratings. The new streaming service will also have a simplified navigation system and will feature an expanded catalogue of content available in 4K UHD, including key programming such as Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Dark Knight Trilogy, etc.

Max has also revealed its exciting lineup of original programming and pricing options for its streaming service.

The CEO of WarnerMedia, David Zaslav, praised the platform as "home to shows that have a supersized effect on people and culture", referring to some of their highly popular original content such as The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Succession, and Euphoria. In addition, HBO Max will feature an array of new programming and pricing tiers.

Prices

Max, the streaming service, will be available in three pricing tiers:

• $9.99 a month or $99 a year for Max Ad Light, which is ad-supported and offers one stream at a time
• Max Ad-Free plan is priced at $15.99 a month or $149.99 a year and features two concurrent streams,
• Max Ultimate Ad Free plan costs $19.99 a month or $199.99 a year and allows up to four concurrent streams.

Among the highlights of the programming slate that was announced are:

Max original Harry Potter series, a faithful adaptation of the beloved original book series by JK Rowling, who will serve as executive producer;

HBO original Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight;

Max original drama series based on The Conjuring films;

Magnolia Network’s Fixer Upper: The Hotel;

Discovery Channel’s Survive the Raft;

Max original Peter & the Wolf short film from U2’s Bono;

Adult Swim’s Rick and Morty: The Anime; 

Max original comedy series derived from The Big Bang Theory;

Investigation Discovery’s Lost Women of Highway 20;

Cartoon Network’s Tiny Toons Looniversity; and

TLC’s Love & Translation

Max also provided first looks at upcoming titles including:

The Penguin starring Colin Farrell

HBO Original drama series The Sympathizer, an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel;

HBO Original limited series True Detective: Night Country, starring Jodie Foster and Kali Reis

HBO Original limited series The Regime, starring Kate Winslet (retitled from The Palace);

Max Original six-part docuseries SmartLess: On the Road, following Jason Bateman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes as they take viewers on an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the sold-out live tour of their podcast

Max Original kids series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

HGTV’s four-part Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge hosted by Ashley Graham.

However, at the time of writing this, there has been no word yet as to when Max will expand its services globally; or to India in particular. (sorry Succession fans).