HBO Max Addresses Latest Name Change With 5-Word ‘Euphoria’ Reference
HBO really can’t make up its mind.
The popular cable network was an early adopter of the complementary video streaming app, and launched its HBO Go app in 2010, which turned out to be wildly successful. As the business of streaming evolved, so too did HBO’s attempts to offer their paying viewers the best available customer experience. Which led to several more iterations of what essentially amounted to the same product—except using different names.
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Since the introduction of HBO Go 15 years ago, that streaming service has officially had four name changes: In 2015 it became HBO Now, then HBO Max in 2020. In 2023, the company dropped the HBO altogether to create plain ol’ Max. But on Wednesday morning, the network announced another name change is coming—though it’s probably better described as a name reversal, as they’re going back to HBO Max.
Is it confusing? Hell yes. And if anyone understands that it’s the powers-that-be at HBO (or HBO Max or whatever it’s called).
Shortly after the “new” name was announced on Wednesday morning, HBO took to its own social media account to poke fun at itself with a meme from Euphoria.
What she said. pic.twitter.com/nUDClK8i9G
— HBO (@HBO) May 14, 2025
The reference is to a memorable scene from season 2 of Euphoria, where Sydney Sweeney’s character Cassie Holloway is dressed like a picnic table, and her friends are confused as to why—so assume she is auditioning for the Drama Club’s staging of Oklahoma, which makes even less sense to the friend group.
Eventually, Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) tells Cassie that she is “dressed like a country music star,” prompting Cassie to ask “In a good way or a bad way?” As there is clearly only one answer to that question, a weary Maddy simply replies: “B*tch, you better be joking.”
Indeed, Maddy’s blunt response really does sum up people’s feelings on HBO’s indecision about its own moniker.