The launch of HBO Max was so ridiculously confusing that just over two weeks later, WarnerMedia is scrambling to clear things up. They're attempting to, at least.
When the new WarnerMedia streaming service HBO Max debuted last month, it existed alongside HBO Go and HBO Now, leaving everyone forced to look up explainer articles about what exactly the difference between the three is. The short answer: HBO Max is a Netflix-like streaming service with HBO content plus other movies and shows, while HBO Go is where you stream just HBO content if you subscribe to the channel through cable, and HBO Now is where you can stream just HBO content if you don't have cable.
Apparently, WarnerMedia realized how overcomplicated that is, as on Friday, the company announced some changes. First of all, it's killing off HBO Go, saying that this app will be removed "from primary platforms as of July 31." The company is also rebranding HBO Now, so that will just be called "HBO." HBO Max stays the same, so there will soon be two options for apps: HBO Max and HBO.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
But there was still tons of confusion. For one, it was unclear what HBO Go users who don't have access to the HBO Max app are supposed to do now. HBO Max, after all, still hasn't launched on Roku or Amazon Fire TV, despite these being the two most popular streaming platforms. The announcement, then, sure makes it sound like for those who use HBO Go on Fire TV or Roku, the app is just disappearing with no replacement.
There's also likely to still be confusion about why, exactly, "HBO" (formerly HBO Now) is even a separate thing from HBO Max, given that they're both the exact same price. Stay tuned to see how WarnerMedia can somehow, improbably, make this even more confusing.
-
August 24 editorial cartoonsCartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Putin at Donald Trump's circus, gallons of whitewash, and a foldable cartoon
-
5 Post Office-approved cartoons about mail-in votingCartoons Artists take on reverse logic, Putin's election advice, and more
-
The battle of the weight-loss drugsTalking Point Can Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly regain their former stock market glory? A lot is riding on next year's pills
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
-
Trump says Smithsonian too focused on slavery's illsSpeed Read The president would prefer the museum to highlight 'success,' 'brightness' and 'the future'
-
Trump to host Kennedy Honors for Kiss, StalloneSpeed Read Actor Sylvester Stallone and the glam-rock band Kiss were among those named as this year's inductees
-
White House seeks to bend Smithsonian to Trump's viewSpeed Read The Smithsonian Institution's 21 museums are under review to ensure their content aligns with the president's interpretation of American history
-
Charlamagne Tha God irks Trump with Epstein talkSpeed Read The radio host said the Jeffrey Epstein scandal could help 'traditional conservatives' take back the Republican Party
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposesspeed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wifespeed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
