Disney does not own Max — Warner Bros. Discovery owns and operates it

Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, a separate media company from Disney. The two companies compete in the streaming market rather than work together. Disney owns Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+. Warner Bros. Discovery owns Max, which was previously called HBO Max until 2023.

If you arrived here from Disney+ information, you may have wondered whether Disney's streaming service includes Max content or whether the companies share ownership. They do not. Each company keeps its own streaming platform and its own library of shows and movies.

Key Takeaways

  • Warner Bros. Discovery owns Max; Disney owns Disney+, and the two companies are separate competitors.
  • Max was rebranded from HBO Max in 2023 but remained under Warner Bros. Discovery ownership throughout.
  • Disney+ and Max do not bundle together or share content libraries, though you can subscribe to both services separately.
  • Warner Bros. Discovery also owns HBO, CNN, and the DC Comics film and television franchises.

What Warner Bros. Discovery owns besides Max

Warner Bros. Discovery is a large media conglomerate that owns far more than just the Max streaming service. The company owns the Warner Bros. film studio, which produces movies under the Warner Bros. and New Line Cinema labels. It also owns HBO, the cable channel that produces original series like The Last of Us and True Detective.

The company owns DC Comics and all DC film and television properties, including characters like Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman. It also owns the Turner Broadcasting networks, including CNN, Cartoon Network, and Adult Swim. All of these properties feed content into Max, which is why Max carries such a wide range of material — from prestige dramas to animated series to news programming.

Why Max and Disney+ remain separate services

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are competitors, not partners. Each company built its own streaming service to reach viewers directly and keep revenue from subscriptions rather than licensing content to rivals. Disney+ launched in 2019 with Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars content. Max (originally HBO Max) launched in 2020 with HBO, Warner Bros., and DC content.

The two companies have no financial incentive to merge their services or share libraries. If you want to watch both Disney+ originals and Max originals, you need to pay for both subscriptions separately. This is standard in the streaming industry — Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and Apple TV+ are also separate, competing services.

How to tell which service carries what you want to watch

The easiest way to find out which service has a show or movie is to search for the title on the service's website or app. Disney+ has a search function that shows you what is available with your subscription. Max has the same.

A general rule: if it is a Disney, Pixar, Marvel, or Star Wars property, it is on Disney+. If it is a Warner Bros., HBO, DC, or Turner property, it is on Max. But this rule has exceptions — some older films or shows may be licensed to other services, and licensing deals change over time. Searching the service directly is always faster than trying to remember which company owns what.

Whether Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery have ever shared content

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery do not currently share content between their streaming services. They have licensed content to each other in the past — for example, some older Warner Bros. films appeared on Disney+ in certain regions — but these are rare and usually temporary licensing deals, not ongoing partnerships.

The companies focus on keeping their best content exclusive to their own platforms. This exclusivity is what drives people to subscribe to multiple services. If you could watch all Warner Bros. content on Disney+ or vice versa, there would be no reason to pay for both subscriptions.

What happened when HBO Max became Max

In 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery rebranded HBO Max to straightforward "Max." The change was a business decision to reflect that the service carries far more than just HBO programming — it includes Warner Bros. films, DC content, and other material from across the Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio. The rebrand did not change ownership or move the service to Disney. It remained under Warner Bros. Discovery control.

The rebrand also came with a price increase and a shift in how the service handles advertising. Some subscription tiers became cheaper if you accepted ads, while ad-free tiers cost more. But the fundamental fact remained: Max is a Warner Bros. Discovery service, separate from Disney+.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get Disney+ and Max in one bundle?

Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery do not offer a joint bundle. You must subscribe to each service separately. Some internet or phone providers offer bundles that include both services at a discount, so check with your provider if you want both.

Will Disney ever buy Max or Warner Bros. Discovery?

There is no indication that Disney plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery or Max. Such a deal would face significant regulatory scrutiny because it would concentrate too much media power in one company. Both companies operate as independent competitors.

Does Max have Marvel or Star Wars content?

Max does not carry Marvel or Star Wars content as part of its regular library. Those franchises are owned by Disney and reserved for Disney+. Some older Marvel or Star Wars content may appear on Max through licensing deals in specific regions, but this is not the standard arrangement.

If I subscribe to Disney+, do I get access to Max?

No. Disney+ and Max are completely separate services with separate subscriptions. Subscribing to one does not give you access to the other. You need to pay for both if you want to watch content from both libraries.