Latest news with #Perrette
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Business
- Tom's Guide
HBO Max's password crackdown is getting 'aggressive' — your free ride is over
HBO Max has been discussing a crackdown on password sharing for months. The streaming service first announced it was following Netflix's crackdown with a Max password-sharing crackdown of its own back in April. Then, in May, it revealed even more details, with Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming executive JB Perrette warning that the password sharing crackdown would hit "full steam" in the next "12-18 months." Since that announcement, Max changed its name back to HBO Max and — apparently — forgot how to count. A mere three months after giving us 12-18 months, Perrette has returned with a more dire warning, saying the crackdown is about to get "aggressive." During WBD's second-quarter earnings call earlier today (Aug. 7), Perrette revealed that HBO Max was about to ramp up its crackdown, and that it had been working in the background for several months to determine if you're the account holder or if you're borrowing someone's account (h/t Deadline). 'The message language right now has been a fairly soft, cancelable message," Perrette said in the call. By the end of the year, that message will become more aggressive and even force you to get your own account to continue using Max. Perrette said this shift is still a few months away. "Probably in the fourth quarter and then kick in in 2026," was the timeline he gave during the earnings call. If you're lucky, it sounds like you might be able to hold out for a Black Friday streaming deal on HBO Max. But you might not get so lucky. I was hit with the "soft" message Perrette described just a few weeks ago, warning me that my time borrowing my parents' HBO Max account was coming to an end. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. Malcolm has been with Tom's Guide since 2022, and has been covering the latest in streaming shows and movies since 2023. He's not one to shy away from a hot take, including that "John Wick" is one of the four greatest films ever made. Here's what he's been watching lately:
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
HBO Max is setting a trap for password sharers
HBO Max password sharers may soon be forced to pay up, or go back to Netflix. Warner Bros. Discovery is focused on password sharing as its streamer's domestic growth slows. WBD's streaming head said they're identifying who's a "legitimate user" so they're "putting the net in the right place." Warner Bros. Discovery, the media company behind HBO Max and its many rebrands, just warned its streaming subscribers that its password-sharing crackdown is about to get serious. Compared to Netflix and Disney, WBD has been lenient on its streaming password stealers. The HBO Max parent had been gently nudging its password sharers to add another account for $8 a month or get their own subscription, but it was more of a suggestion than a mandate. That was "the first inning" of its account-sharing clampdown, WBD streaming head JB Perrette said on its second-quarter earnings call on Thursday. But the next inning is fast approaching. Starting in September, HBO Max moochers will "actually start to see some messaging" telling them to pay up or else, Perrette said. Put simply, the days of being Mr. Nice Guy are over. WBD has spent much of the last several months testing to figure out who's a "legitimate user" of the streaming service, Perrette said. HBO Max's testing happened so that when they decide to "turn on the more aggressive languaging around what needs to happen, we're actually putting the net in the right place, so to speak," Perrette said. Translation: HBO Max is springing a trap for password moochers. WBD had 125.7 million streaming subscribers as of the second quarter, up 3.4 million from early 2025. However, most of that growth came from overseas, where HBO Max is still rolling out in new countries. In the US, the HBO-centric streamer only added about 200,000 customers. But HBO Max will start to reap the benefits of this crackdown in the fourth quarter and in 2026 as their password messaging continues "in a much more aggressive fashion," Perrette said.
Business Insider
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Insider
HBO Max is setting a trap for password sharers
Anyone borrowing a password for HBO Max should start binge-watching now. Warner Bros. Discovery, the media company behind HBO Max and its many rebrands, just warned its streaming subscribers that its password-sharing crackdown is about to get serious. Compared to Netflix and Disney, WBD has been lenient on its streaming password stealers. The HBO Max parent had been gently nudging its password sharers to add another account for $8 a month or get their own subscription, but it was more of a suggestion than a mandate. That was "the first inning" of its account-sharing clampdown, WBD streaming head JB Perrette said on its second-quarter earnings call on Thursday. But the next inning is fast approaching. Starting in September, HBO Max moochers will "actually start to see some messaging" telling them to pay up or else, Perrette said. Put simply, the days of being Mr. Nice Guy are over. WBD has spent much of the last several months testing to figure out who's a "legitimate user" of the streaming service, Perrette said. HBO Max's testing happened so that when they decide to "turn on the more aggressive languaging around what needs to happen, we're actually putting the net in the right place, so to speak," Perrette said. Translation: HBO Max is springing a trap for password moochers. WBD had 125.7 million streaming subscribers as of the second quarter, up 3.4 million from early 2025. However, most of that growth came from overseas, where HBO Max is still rolling out in new countries. In the US, the HBO-centric streamer only added about 200,000 customers. But HBO Max will start to reap the benefits of this crackdown in the fourth quarter and in 2026 as their password messaging continues "in a much more aggressive fashion," Perrette said. So anyone hoping to catch up on "The Last of Us" or stream "The Yogurt Shop Murders" without paying may want to start now.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Watch: HBO streaming service changing back from Max to HBO Max
May 15 (UPI) -- HBO has announced that the name of its streaming service is changing back from Max to HBO Max this summer. HBO Max is what the platform was known as when it launched in 2020, but the HBO portion of the name was dropped in 2023 as its parent company sought to give it its own identity. The company announced it is going back to its original moniker at the Warner Bros. Discovery upfront presentation in New York on Wednesday. "No consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content," said JB Perrette, President and CEO of Streaming. Perrette said the idea to put HBO back in the platform's name is a "testament to WBD's willingness to keep boldly iterating its strategy and approach -- leaning heavily on consumer data and insights." To celebrate the move, the company released a hilarious video of famous TV couple reunions set to Pat Benatar's classic song, "We Belong."
Muscat Daily
14-05-2025
- Business
- Muscat Daily
HBO Max is back: Warner Bros. Discovery to revert streaming service name
Max brand to be retired as company leans into HBO's legacy of quality After just one year under the simplified moniker Max , Warner Bros. Discovery is reversing course and bringing back the HBO Max brand, the name the streaming platform launched with in 2020. The rebrand, set to roll out this summer, was announced on Wednesday during the company's upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. Executives cited consumer sentiment, global momentum, and the enduring power of the HBO name as key drivers of the move. 'This evolution has also been influenced by changing consumer needs,' said JB Perrette, President and CEO of Global Streaming. 'No consumer today is saying they want more content — they want better content.' The move appears to be an acknowledgment that the decision to drop 'HBO' in 2023 — in an effort to broaden the platform's appeal beyond prestige television — failed to resonate with audiences. While the rebrand was never directly labelled a misstep, Warner Bros. Discovery did refer to the reversal as a sign of its willingness to 'boldly iterate' based on viewer data and real-world response. A brand built on prestige HBO has long been synonymous with quality storytelling, with recent global hits like The White Lotus and The Last of Us reinforcing its brand cachet. The HBO Max name, according to executives, better reflects the platform's unique proposition: 'content that is recognised as unique and worth paying for,' said Casey Bloys, Chairman and CEO of HBO and Max Content. In a candid interview, Perrette revealed that the decision to revert came after months of analysis and discussion with Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. 'David said, 'The consumer always tells you whether you're right or wrong… Let's go back. That sounds like HBO,'' Perrette recounted. New look, familiar feel Subscribers may have already noticed early signs of the shift. The Max interface recently changed its colour scheme from blue to dark grey, echoing the original HBO Max aesthetic. The new logo will also revive the rounded letters first used in the 2020 branding. Despite the challenges of integrating Discovery+ content and new subscription tiers for sport and news, the streaming platform has turned a profit. Projections estimate HBO Max could surpass 150 million subscribers by 2026. Legacy meets strategy Since the $43 billion Warner Media-Discovery merger in 2022, the company has sought to find its footing in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape. While the streamlined 'Max' aimed for breadth, its return to HBO Max reflects a renewed focus on depth — and distinction. As Zaslav summed it up: 'Today, we are bringing back HBO, the brand that represents the highest quality in media, to further accelerate our growth in the years ahead.'
