Everything to Know About the New Streamer Max, Following the HBO Max and Discovery+ Merge

Start binge-watching your favorite shows while you still can.

Since WarnerMedia and Discovery Inc. merged in April 2020, major changes have been made to the company both internally and externally — but another major shakeup was announced as new management has taken action.

In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery sparked controversy when CEO David Zaslav confirmed during the company's 2022 second-quarter earnings call that its two flagship streaming services, HBO Max and Discovery+, would be combined into a single, unified streamer — along with an explanation of why the highly-anticipated Batgirl film was canceled, despite it being a $90 million project already in post-production.

The company unveiled the single streamer Max to the public in April 2023, which will feature original material, user-friendly navigation, 4K UHD and more.

"The Max service is a wide-ranging mosaic of content that will be unmatched in the breadth, reach, and excellence of its offerings," HBO and Max Content CEO and Chairman Casey Bloys stated in the April 2023 Max launch press release. "We are unique because we have the best-in-all categories across the board by any measure — be they ratings, awards, fandom. We know we can satisfy any craving because we have the brands that people love. At Max, they will find what they want, when they want it."

Some of HBO and HBO Max original shows have met their fates — as many projects have been scrapped, despite some being renewed for forthcoming seasons — however, there is a handful of original programming eventually hitting the single streaming service, including a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory, a new prequel spinoff series to Game of Thrones, a series adaptation of the Harry Potter books and more.

In light of Max debuting in the U.S. in May 2023, here are all the details on the rebranded streaming service — including which shows will be made available and which are on the chopping block.

Who owns Warner Bros. Discovery?

The company formerly known as WarnerMedia (spun off from AT&T) started HBO Max in May 2020 and featured HBO television shows, in addition to programming from cable networks like TNT, TBS, CNN and the Warner Bros. film studio.

In April 2022, WarnerMedia merged with Discovery Inc. — home to streamer Discovery+ and networks like Discovery Channel, HGTV and Food Network — to form the new company now known as Warner Bros. Discovery.

A year later, Warner Bros. brought the revamped platform Max to the public.

"From the biggest superheroes to real-life champions; from culture-shaping dramas to taste-shaping entertainment; from fantastical realms to the realest of worlds, Max will offer an unrivaled range of choice," JB Perrette, President and CEO, Global Streaming and Games, Warner Bros. Discovery, said in the press release.

"This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and Discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition. While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody," Perrette added.

What is the fate of HBO Max and Discovery+ shows?

In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO Zaslav revealed that HBO Max and Discovery+ will share select programming from their respective platforms in the interim period leading up to the new streamer's launch in 2023, but they also had to reduce their content library.

HBO Max original series such as And Just Like That..., The Gilded Age, A Black Lady Sketch Show, Our Flag Means Death and Julia — as well as the hit HBO shows Euphoria, The Last of Us and The White Lotus — were marked safe among its merge purge, and Discovery+'s catalog of originals, such as the spinoffs of the popular reality series 90 Day Fiancé and Ghost Adventures, will also appear on the platform.

However, there was unfortunate news for fans of Westworld, The Nevers, Time Traveler's Wife, Run, Love Life, Degrassi: The Next Generation, Made for Love and other projects, as these shows were cut off from productions. Even shows like Minx were abandoned, despite already being renewed for a second season. (Though Minx did already find a new home on Starz.)

In addition, Magnolia Network — a joint venture between Discovery and Chip and Joanna Gaines — joined HBO Max in September 2022 and will move to Max upon its launch.

How to sign up for the new service Max?

Pricing for the new service begins at $9.99 per month. Subscribers will also be able to select an ad-free version for $15.99 (the same price as HBO Max) or an "ultimate" ad-free third tier — with up to four concurrent streams, 4K Ultra HD resolution, 100 offline downloads and Dolby Atmos sound quality — for $19.99 a month.

HBO Max customers will be able to have their profiles and data automatically transferred over to the new platform, as well as keep their current subscription features for a minimum of six months following its debut.

"Our incredible team has been hard at work taking the best of both legacy technology platforms to deliver a product that works much better,"Perrette said in the press release. "We're confident that all these enhancements will deliver a stronger experience for our customers, which will drive more engagement, help enhance retention and improve customer satisfaction, which in turn will help us continue to scale."

What new shows will be under Max?

After disclosing the new streaming service, CEO Bloys revealed that there will be plenty of new original titles.

The streaming service is preparing to launch a "faithful adaptation" of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter book series that will take a "dive deep into each of the iconic books."

"Max's commitment to preserving the integrity of my books is important to me, and I'm looking forward to being part of this new adaptation which will allow for a degree of depth and detail only afforded by a long-form television series," Rowling said.

HBO is also set to develop a spinoff of The Big Bang Theory and a prequel spinoff series to Game of Thrones — titled A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight, which will follow "two unlikely heroes [who] wandered Westeros … a young, naïve but courageous knight, Ser Duncan the Tall, and his diminutive squire, Egg" — as well as launch projects like The Idol, The Penguin, The Regime and more throughout 2023.

In addition to new Max Originals such as Love & Death, Peter and the Wolf and a series set in The Conjuring universe, the service will stream new programming from TLC (Love & Translation), Adult Swim (Rick and Morty: The Anime), Magnolia Network (Fixer Upper: The Hotel), HGTV (Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge), Cartoon Network (Tiny Toons Looniversity) and more.

When will Max streaming service launch?

When announcing the new-and-improved streaming service in April, Warner Bros. Discovery confirmed that Max will debut in the U.S. on May 23, 2023.

"Max will stand out amongst streamers by uniquely combining unrivaled breadth and superior quality with iconic franchises and strong product experience, all for great value," read the press release.