WarnerMedia has shared major details about its upcoming video subscription service that will rival streaming giants like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime.
The entertainment conglomerate announced Tuesday that the platform will be called HBO Max—not be confused with the similarly titled streaming services HBO Now and HBO Go.
"HBO Max will bring together the diverse riches of WarnerMedia to create programming and user experiences not seen before in a streaming platform," Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia Entertainment and Direct-To-Consumer, said in a press release. "HBO's world-class programming leads the way, the quality of which will be the guiding principle for our new array of Max Originals, our exciting acquisitions, and the very best of the Warner Bros. libraries [...]"
WarnerMedia also confirmed a slew of titles that will be streamed exclusively HBO Max, including The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, Pretty Little Liars, and Friends, which will leave Netflix in 2020. Sources told the Wall Street Journal and HBO Max coughed up $425 million to carry Friends from 2020-2025 "in what was essentially a transaction inside WarnerMedia."
HBO Max will also stream CW's upcoming series Batwoman and Katy Keene, as well as original programs like the rom-com anthology Love Life, the hourlong thriller The Flight Attendant, the postapocalyptic limited series Station Eleven, and the Gremlins cartoon. Reese Witherspoon has already signed on to produce two movies for HBO Max, and producer Greg Berlanti will deliver four "focused in the young adult space."
HBO Max is set to launch in spring 2020 with 10,000 hours of premium content. WarnerMedia has not provided any details about its subscription plan, including its cost. Stay tuned as more details about the service become available.
