• HBO’s streaming service changed its name AGAIN!
  • It was previously rebranded to MAX and then switched back
  • The internet had a lot to say about the marketing
The White Lotus star Jennifer Coolidge didn't come back for season three on HBO Max
The White Lotus starring Jennifer Coolidge is on HBO Max Credit: IMAGO

HBO Max is back! The streaming service that gives us beloved hits like The White Lotus, The Last of Us and And Just Like That… has been given a new name. However, it’s not a new name because it began its life that way.

The fresh rebrand will arrive on the platform this summer, returning it to the old name of HBO Max. It was renamed to Max in 2023. A decision made to ensure the streamer was a home for all their brands, not just shows like Succession and Game of Thrones.

Read more: Disney+, Hulu and Max to be bundled together this summer

“Returning the HBO brand into HBO Max will further drive the service forward and amplify the uniqueness that subscribers can expect from the offering. It is also a testament to WBD’s willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach — leaning heavily on consumer data and insights — to best position itself for success,” it’s parent company Warner Brothers Discovery said in a statement.

It’s stars wanted to know if jobs were still coming

When Carrie Coon found out about the new-but-old-name, she joked about whether their was still paid work coming her way. The actress stars many of its properties like The Gilded Age and the third season of The White Lotus.

Obviously, there was pop culture references in the jokes

As many entertainment junkies who are too online, there were lots of pop culture references in the HBO Max memes, like to the 2017 film Lady Bird starring Saoirse Ronan.

And the political comedy Veep was also included.

The HBO Max logo evolution was a great source of comedy

Many just found the way that nothing had really changed really amusing, an example of corporate waste and ego.

Someone wrote, “This caps off probably the funniest series of inexplicable logo changes in corporate history.”

Most never observed the name change

“HBO Max is going back to the name HBO Max after finding out that we were still calling it HBO,” someone said.

“Good bc I never stopped calling it HBO Max,” another said.

There was lots of pointing out how its stars themselves found the initial name change

Lots of the network’s biggest names have struggled to remember the name like Hacks’ star Jean Smart. When she accepted her Emmy, she let the old name slip out.

House of the Dragon’s Matt Smith did just point blank ask out how silly the change was from a marketing perspective.

Others gave credit to the social media team for letting us laugh about the HBO Max return

Many were clued in to the fact that the service seemed to be in on the joke.

“Props to the HBO Max team for letting their social team lean into the meme,” someone wrote.