[2] The platform offers content from the libraries of Warner Bros., Discovery, HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Animal Planet, TBS, TNT, Eurosport, and their related brands.

[9] Otter Media was transferred in May 2019 to WarnerMedia Entertainment from Warner Bros. to take over the streaming service as Brad Bentley, executive vice president and general manager of direct-to-consumer development, exited the post after six months.

(The "Max" moniker is shared with HBO's sister linear pay television service Cinemax, which has alternately identified by its suffix name since the mid-1980s and used it prominently in its branding from 2008 to 2011.

[26][27] During an earnings call the next day, WBD CEO David Zaslav stated that the company would cut children's programming and emphasize theatrical films over direct-to-streaming releases.

[28][29] Later that month, more programs were pulled from the streaming service, including animated and unscripted series such as The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Final Space, Summer Camp Island, Infinity Train, Close Enough, and nearly 200 episodes of Sesame Street, among others,[30][31] which was met with heavy backlash from fans, critics, actors, and creators alike.

[40] During an earnings call in August 2022, WBD head of Global Streaming and Interactive JB Perrette revealed that Discovery+ and HBO Max would merge "next Summer", with the unified service launching first in the United States, and rolled out to other markets beginning in late-2023.

While the new service maintains similar price points to HBO Max, support for 4K resolution video and Dolby Atmos became exclusive to the new "Ultimate" tier, and the ad-free plan was also reduced from four concurrent streams to two.

Andy Forssell was named the service's executive vice president and general manager while still reporting to Otter Media CEO Tony Goncalves, who leads development.

On August 7, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a significant restructuring under new president Jason Kilar, which he described as "leaning into this great moment of change" towards direct-to-consumer services.

Kevin Reilly stated this was to ensure that originals would remain in the spotlight for extended periods, by letting said shows "breathe" as opposed to "fading quickly after a binge and burn".

Discovery, the service also offers titles from The Criterion Collection,[93] and has a long-term partnership with BBC Studios (which HBO had previously partnered with to create His Dark Materials).

Original animated series (including the Adventure Time epilogue specials Adventure Time: Distant Lands, Jellystone!, Looney Tunes Cartoons, continuations of Infinity Train, and Summer Camp Island, and a reboot of The Boondocks produced by Sony Pictures Animation) for both network sections were also announced for HBO Max,[99][100][70] and the service beat out competitors to acquire exclusive domestic streaming rights to South Park and its next three seasons for $500 million–with first-run episodes being added 24 hours after their premiere on Comedy Central.

[101] Fellow Otter Media company Rooster Teeth also contributes content, with season two of Gen:Lock to be a timed exclusive for HBO Max.

[106] On June 9, 2020, Gone with the Wind was temporarily removed from HBO Max's library amid the George Floyd protests, following an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times by 12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley.

[113] On September 18, 2020, it was announced that all DC Universe content would be migrating to HBO Max, including original shows like Titans and Young Justice, which will have their newest seasons air exclusively on the service.

[116] In February 2021, it was announced that WarnerMedia's international preschool brand Cartoonito would launch in the United States via Cartoon Network and HBO Max later in the year, with a slate of 50 series by 2023.

[117][118] In June 2021, HBO Max ordered a pilot from John Wells and Animal Kingdom writer Matt Kester for Ke Nui Road, an action drama following a team of lifeguards in the North Shore of O'ahu, Hawaii.

[136] Subsequent films released under the same-day theatrical/streaming window to date were Judas and the Black Messiah (February 12),[137][138] Tom and Jerry (February 26), Godzilla vs. Kong (March 31), Mortal Kombat (April 23), Those Who Wish Me Dead (May 14), The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (June 4), In the Heights (June 10), Space Jam: A New Legacy (July 16), The Suicide Squad (August 5), Reminiscence (August 20), Malignant (September 10), Cry Macho (September 17), The Many Saints of Newark (October 1), Dune (October 22), King Richard (November 19), and The Matrix Resurrections (December 22).

[147] Warner Bros. spent over $200 million alone compensating talent for the shift to streaming; Deadline reported in January 2022 that such a business move "will never occur again given its high cost".

[153][154] On March 1, 2022, Turner Sports announced an eight-year deal to hold rights to United States men's and women's national soccer team home matches, such as FIFA World Cup qualifying and international friendlies.

The tier features live sporting events and studio shows from TNT Sports, including Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), the National Hockey League (NHL), and the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament, as well as exclusive USA Soccer matches and programs, and select on-demand content.

[157] On December 14, 2023, amid the closure of the GCN+ service, WBD announced that its programming rights would be consolidated into the sports add-on in February 2024, including the Giro d'Italia and various UCI tours and events.

[160][161] Support for 4K, HDR, and Atmos was added starting with the release of Wonder Woman 1984,[162][non-primary source needed] with WarnerMedia promising to add more content in these formats throughout 2021 and beyond.

[75][167] On May 27, 2020, as part of an agreement with Time Warner that renewed its carriage contract for the Turner Broadcasting System networks and gave its over-the-top television service Sling TV distribution rights to the linear HBO channel.

[196][197] The European launches of HBO Max featured a notable promotion, offering the service with a 50% discount "for life" for new subscribers as long as they maintain their subscription.

In many other countries, Max has licensed exclusive rights to its programming to television networks owned by third parties, including Sky Atlantic in the United Kingdom.

Selected programs (like The Last of Us, Peacemaker, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin and The Sex Lives of College Girls) where released without a subscription to the channel for a limited time.

[49] Instead, it launched as Max in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on 19 November 2024, replacing the HBO Go Asia services.

It officially launched on September 25, 2024 at 2:00 p.m.[265][266] OSN currently carries HBO content across 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region on its linear channels as well as its OSN+ streaming service.

Discovery was sued by a shareholder, alleging that WarnerMedia had overstated the number of HBO Max subscribers by including unactivated subscriptions bundled with AT&T services.