Warner Bros. Discovery is righting most of the wrongs it committed in the past few years. The biggest of them being its unfortunate name change.
As shows and movies pop up or leave the service, HBO Max is at least taking a shape that it used to hold when it launched years ago. With the focus on streaming, though, the linear channels arenât getting much love.
Goodbye Linear Networks
With the focus on streaming taking shape, WBD has to make more decisions regarding its networks. Even though TNT and its sister channels donât have new shows, they are still assets that run sports like Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League. They even have rights to popular movies.
Still, not every single channel is safe. A set of niche Cinemax channels and an HBO channel are officially on their way out.
HBO Family, ThrillerMax MovieMax and OuterMax will be sunsetted later this summer. The news comes from Cord Cutter News as they spotted a note from Spectrum regarding the status of the channels.
âAt Spectrum, we are committed to providing you with exceptional service and want to alert you of changes before they happen. Effective on or after August 15, 2025, HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax, & OuterMax will cease programming and will no longer be available,â the note reads.
Unlike major HBO channel feeds that can be viewed by subscribers on streaming apps, none of these have been accessible outside of the cable ecosystem.
Definitions of a Dying Channel
HBO Family launched in 1996 and features kid-friendly shows and movies.
ThrillerMax came about in 1998. That network is as its name suggests – airing thriller and mystery movies.
Movie Max launched in 2001. However, it originally began life as the female driven WMax.
OuterMax also started in 2001. It focuses on sci-fi and fantasy genres.
Cinemax still has four other networks under its banner including MoreMax, ActionMax, 5 Star Max and Cinemáx.
Streaming Is King
âInside The NBAâ is gone because TNT is officially done with basketball. The show will continue in a truncated form on ESPN. Simultaneously, TNT, TBS and TruTV are finished with original programming. Cartoon Network and Adult Swim are hanging on by a thread.
On top of all that, Warner Bros. Discovery itself is splitting into two: one part of the company will encompass WBD Streaming and Studios (HBO Max, Warner Bros.) while the other will contain WBD Global Networks (CNN, TNT, etc).Â
This after Warner Bros. essentially finished the merger between it and Discovery a couple of years ago.
The post HBO Is Shutting Down a Couple of Long Running Channels appeared first on EntertainmentNow.