HBO Max - WarnerMedia Announces Upcoming Streaming Service

Toggle sidebar
mackie99

mackie99

SatelliteGuys Master
Original poster
Pub Member / Supporter
Lifetime Supporter
Sep 28, 2007
20,046
36,320
Sunny Southern California
HBO Max - WarnerMedia Announces Name and Initial Line-Up for Upcoming Streaming Service

Los Angeles, CA – WarnerMedia today unveiled HBO Max as the name of its new streaming service, which will offer an impressive direct-to-consumer experience for everyone ranging from families with young children to adults of all ages. Anchored with and inspired by the legacy of HBO’s excellence and award-winning storytelling, the new service will be “Maximized” with an extensive collection of exclusive original programming (Max Originals) and the best-of-the-best from WarnerMedia’s enormous portfolio of beloved brands and libraries.

New deals with Warner Bros. Television and others for HBO Max announced today include:
  • The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all 236 episodes of “Friends” — one of the biggest hits on television and in streaming
  • The exclusive streaming rights at launch to all episodes of fan favorites “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” and “Pretty Little Liars”
  • The exclusive streaming home to a string of new Warner Bros.’ produced dramas for The CW beginning with the fall 2019 season, including the highly-anticipated new DC Entertainment series “Batwoman,” and “Katy Keene” (spinoff of “Riverdale”)
  • New exclusive movie production deals with Greg Berlanti, one of Hollywood’s most prolific and successful producers, and Reese Witherspoon, Academy Award® and Emmy Award®-winning actress and producer; Berlanti will produce an initial four movies focused in the young adult space, while Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine will produce at least two films

HBO Max, scheduled to launch commercially in spring of 2020, is anticipated to premiere with 10,000 hours of premium content.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LQQK
So, looking at the video, it looks like it's going to be HBO, WB, TBS, CNN, Cartoon Network, DC, TRU TV, TNT, [as], New Line Cinema and Boomerang.

Never heard of [as].
 
mackie99 said:
Curious if this will also include HBO itself or if they expect us to pay on top of paying for HBO.
Click to expand...

No, HBO Max will absolutely include 100% of the content in HBO (although we don't know yet if live streams of any of the HBO linear channels will be included in the HBO Max app). The WSJ also reported not long ago that HBO Max would include Cinemax (which makes a lot of sense for multiple reasons, including the HBO Max name). Interestingly, though, the Cinemax name and its original content were nowhere to be found in today's official announcement/sizzle reel from WarnerMedia. My guess is that they want to wait on announcing its inclusion until closer to launch, to have something new to say to generate more media buzz.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mackie99
NashGuy said:
No, HBO Max will absolutely include 100% of the content in HBO (although we don't know yet if live streams of any of the HBO linear channels will be included in the HBO Max app). The WSJ also reported not long ago that HBO Max would include Cinemax (which makes a lot of sense for multiple reasons, including the HBO Max name). Interestingly, though, the Cinemax name and its original content were nowhere to be found in today's official announcement/sizzle reel from WarnerMedia. My guess is that they want to wait on announcing its inclusion until closer to launch, to have something new to say to generate more media buzz.
Click to expand...

I did not see Cinemax listed in the video either. A report earlier said that since Cinemax was not all that popular, AT&T might be shutting it down. They may just include the Cinemax movies under HBO MAX.
 
mwdxer1 said:
I did not see Cinemax listed in the video either. A report earlier said that since Cinemax was not all that popular, AT&T might be shutting it down. They may just include the Cinemax movies under HBO MAX.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I didn't see that story. Do you have a link? I'd like to read it.

Anyhow, yeah, after I posted that above about not seeing Cinemax mentioned yesterday, I had some further thoughts on the matter which I posted on another thread:

Cinemax Must Die
 
Yeah I don't think Cinemax has anything to do with this so they just added Max to be "maximized" about the content that will be available is all.. So I might switch over to this and drop HBO Now since they will have HBO shows but it will depend if they will have the movies as well. If they carry both the HBO Shows and Movies then it would make sense to go with the Max simply due to you would be getting more for your dollar.
 
At $16-$17 a month is only a bit above the $15 we are paying now. Depending on how much of the WB they offer, it may end up being a good deal with or without Cinemax.
 
Poke said:
Yeah I don't think Cinemax has anything to do with this so they just added Max to be "maximized" about the content that will be available is all.. So I might switch over to this and drop HBO Now since they will have HBO shows but it will depend if they will have the movies as well. If they carry both the HBO Shows and Movies then it would make sense to go with the Max simply due to you would be getting more for your dollar.
Click to expand...

I think the "Max is for maximized" is the way that they want most of the general public to perceive it. But I think HBO is absolutely aware of their branding over the past 39 years for Cinemax, using "Max" as a shortened nickname for Cinemax, and they know that a lot of cable TV viewers associate "Max" with Cinemax, especially when they see the word right next to "HBO". (In fact, HBO has for years operated a service in Latin America called HBOMax that contains both HBO and Cinemax channels/content.)

So I think it would be a huge branding blunder for them to keep the Cinemax service/brand alive and, at the same time, not include it in the upcoming HBO Max service.

My prediction is that past Cinemax original series like Banshee and The Knick will all be included (but not really advertised) as part of the HBO Max library. Any current Cinemax original series like Jett and Warrior that continue on will simply be rebranded as "Max Originals" that exist exclusively in HBO Max, just like all the other upcoming Max Originals they've already announced like Made for Love, The Flight Attendant, and Tokyo Vice.

And the Cinemax service, brand and all of its channels simply cease to exist here in the US. Perhaps the original main Cinemax channel will get rebranded and join the HBO line-up as "HBO Cinema" or "HBO Movies," featuring nothing but Hollywood movies 24/7.
 
NashGuy said:
I think the "Max is for maximized" is the way that they want most of the general public to perceive it. But I think HBO is absolutely aware of their branding over the past 39 years for Cinemax, using "Max" as a shortened nickname for Cinemax, and they know that a lot of cable TV viewers associate "Max" with Cinemax, especially when they see the word right next to "HBO". (In fact, HBO has for years operated a service in Latin America called HBOMax that contains both HBO and Cinemax channels/content.)

So I think it would be a huge branding blunder for them to keep the Cinemax service/brand alive and, at the same time, not include it in the upcoming HBO Max service.

My prediction is that past Cinemax original series like Banshee and The Knick will all be included (but not really advertised) as part of the HBO Max library. Any current Cinemax original series like Jett and Warrior that continue on will simply be rebranded as "Max Originals" that exist exclusively in HBO Max, just like all the other upcoming Max Originals they've already announced like Made for Love, The Flight Attendant, and Tokyo Vice.

And the Cinemax service, brand and all of its channels simply cease to exist here in the US. Perhaps the original main Cinemax channel will get rebranded and join the HBO line-up as "HBO Cinema" or "HBO Movies," featuring nothing but Hollywood movies 24/7.
Click to expand...

Yeah I see what your saying so they could have chose something different for sure..
 

Similar threads

B
News story LINK /HBO Max, WarnerMedia's streaming launching in May for $14.99 a month
Replies
0
Views
849
DIRECTV General Forum
bjf
B

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 0, Members: 0, Guests: 0)

Who Read This Thread (Total Members: 1)

Share this page

Share this page
Top