Once upon a time in 2019, Disney had a decision to make: What would it call its new big-swing streaming service, a platform meant to take on Netflix in a way that Hulu never could? It turns out that all it took was a mathematical symbol. Disney+ was born.
It was an incredibly simple name that was also perfectly descriptive. It means “Disney, and then some.” How strong was the name “Disney+”? Well, good enough that half of the media industry followed suit. Soon, we had Paramount+, Apple TV+, Discovery+ and AMC+. (Technically, Disney followed … itself. ESPN+ was launched the previous year.)
This all came to mind with the news in May that Warner Bros. Discovery “de-branded” Max back to HBO Max (after former owner AT&T had launched HBO Max five years ago). “Max” is about as close to “Plus” as you can get without being a total copycat.
A lot of streaming services have been naming or renaming themselves lately, coming up with a new handle that’s definitely, unquestionably better than the old handle. They’re trying to stand out from their competitors, but could end up confusing consumers and Emmy voters — at exactly the moment that the latter group is deciding whether to honor a company’s actors, directors and other contenders.
After AT&T’s WarnerMedia merged with Discovery in 2022, forming (the obvious but reasonably named) Warner Bros. Discovery, executives renamed HBO Max just … Max. They wanted it to be clear that Max was more than just HBO — you know, the three most powerful letters in television. But also, like Justin Timberlake in The Social Network, they definitely thought it sounded cooler.
It didn’t. Warner Bros. Discovery realized the error of its ways and did the debrand. But worthy Max original series like Hacks and The Pitt will still contend for Emmys this year as “Max” shows, not “HBO Max” series. It hasn’t seemed to hurt Hacks in the past — voters are generally astute — but the letters “H,” “B” and “O” are still how you spell “prestige” in the TV biz.
NBCUniversal called its streamer Peacock when it launched in 2020. Peacock, named after the old NBC logo, was a silly name then, and it’s a silly name now. The nicest thing I can say about “Peacock” is that it’s not “Seeso,” its short-lived, comedy-focused predecessor. (Actually, the nicest thing I can say about Peacock in an FYC magazine is that its Emmy contender The Day of the Jackal is quite good.)
Peacock is also not “Versant.”
Formerly known as SpinCo., Versant is a new company (owned by NBCU-parent Comcast) composed of a bunch of cable channels that NBCU felt ambivalent about, along with some digital assets. Don’t ask me what the hell “Versant” means. Ask Mark Lazarus.
“Versant represents more than a name — it speaks to our adaptability and embraces the opportunity to shape a new, modern media company,” the firm’s CEO said in a memo to staff, adding that NBCU “took into account our overarching goal to influence culture, connect communities and signify a unified direction forward.”
And Disney? A few years ago, it was back in the naming game for its much-teased new ESPN streaming offering. It needed something that evoked “ESPN,” so it went with …ESPN.
It doesn’t get any less confusing when you consider there’s already an ESPN app, as well as ESPN+, which the company stresses is a “service” and not an “app.” The new ESPN app (a bona fide, confirmed app), is in actuality an enhancement of the existing ESPN app. Perhaps ESPN should have stuck with “Flagship,” the new offering’s working title. Then again, never mind.
All of this branding, rebranding and de-branding is puzzling enough for voters and other folks in the industry. So imagine how consumers feel.
Even the unwavering Netflix is playing the game. The undisputed streaming leader recently revamped its once-in-a-while marketing event Tudum, which is named after the sound effect that plays before each film or series. (It’s a little too easy to make a Tu-dumb joke.)
The company uses Tudum for its platform on what to watch and what’s trending. But mainly, Tudum is a promotional event — one long Netflix ad, basically — now wrapped in a variety show (of sorts) featuring more than 100 Netflix stars.
There is one thing that can save a confounding name: a good tagline.
ESPN revealed its new tagline on June 5: “Sports Forever.” Hey, that’s not bad! Of course, ESPN’s old motto, “The Worldwide Leader in Sports,” was working fine for everyone.
Less than a year ago, Starz unveiled its own new tagline: “We’re All Adults Here.” I’ve got nothing negative to say about that one: It clearly defines the brand strategy. “We’re All Adults Here” informs potential subscribers (and bundlers, and maybe buyers) of exactly what to expect.
It’s no surprise Starz nailed its new tagline. Starz knows what it is and who it serves. The Starz audience is women and Black adults — whom it has targeted since 2014, when it launched both Outlander and Power.
HBO knows what it is; Max never did.
And we’re still trying to figure out what Versant is.
This story first appeared in a June stand-alone issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. To receive the magazine, click here to subscribe.
