If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Is it HBO Max or just Max? John Oliver pokes fun at the recent name change to the Last Week Tonight network
Jetlagged and exhausted after his recent double Emmy win, John Oliver gave the best explanation he could about the HBO / HBO Max changes
Popverse's top stories
- After the end of the Ultimate Universe, Marvel Comics promises Armageddon in Summer 2026
- Here's how to watch all the New York Comic Con 2025 panels
- Watch BlumFest 2025 terrify NYCC 2025, no Halloween costume required!
The world of television is an unpredictable place, especially for streaming sites. To succeed, you have to have a solid brand that is recognizable and consistent to keep customers from getting confused. Which is why everyone has been scratching their heads about the sudden shift from Max back to HBO Max. Even John Oliver, whose show Last Week Tonight recently won two fresh Emmys, seems slightly confused by the back and forth.
When asked to explain the difference between HBO and HBO Max while on Jimmy Kimmel Live, a very jetlagged John Oliver explained that the names were in a constant state of flux, making them nearly unknowable even to him. “It can’t be done,” John Oliver said of giving a satisfactory definition to the streamer’s name. “Either tired or having just woken up from a 14-hour sleep. It can’t be done, because it’s so ephemeral. You can think you know what it is, and it will have shifted to the thing you thought it wasn’t. So it’s not so much a company as more of a state of mind. A mood. A color. Like a mood ring. Don’t get stuck on labels. It’s more, you know, in a state of being.”
John Oliver did his best to explain it to Kimmel and the studio audience. The streaming site started as HBO Max. “Then it was Max. Now it’s HBO Max. And I really would not make the mistake of thinking they’re done.” John Oliver got one last shot in at his own network before saying goodbye to Jimmy Kimmel. “That’s a good way to run a company, right?”
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver airs Sunday night on HBO and HBO Max, depending on what it is calling itself this week.
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.