Overview

• Warner Bros. Discovery has officially reverted its streaming service name from Max back to HBO Max, two years after dropping 'HBO' from the title.
• CEO David Zaslav cited the HBO brand's prestige as a critical factor in the decision, aiming to drive subscriber growth and reinforce the platform's identity.
• On 'Last Week Tonight,' John Oliver ridiculed the repeated rebranding efforts, comparing them to Donald Trump’s attempt to rename the Gulf of Mexico the 'Gulf of America.'
• Oliver directly addressed Warner Bros. Discovery executives, who had publicly anticipated his critique, with a mix of humor and exasperation over their branding decisions.
• Branding experts have criticized the earlier removal of 'HBO' as a costly mistake, describing the reversal as a 'corporate walk of shame.'