Max has more Discovery+ shows than HBO shows

Though Max is “The One to Watch” for HBO content, the HBO Max replacement app’s TV library is actually made up of more Discovery+ shows, according to new data.

Research from streaming app aggregator Reelgood, shared with IndieWire, says Max’s collection of 1,208 different series is 55% Discovery+ shows. 42% of Max series migrated from HBO Max; the remaining 3 percent are new Max exclusives.

Max is a combination of HBO Max and most of the Discovery+ content. (Discovery+ is still available as a standalone app; the ad-free version is $6.99/month to Max’s $15.99/month.)

Episode counts follow a similar pattern. As of May 23, the old HBO Max had 22,191 individual TV episodes, according to Reelgood. As of May 25, Max has 51,575 episodes. Discovery+ has 59,048 TV episodes. Of course, not all episodes of television are created equal. It’s a little easier to compile piles of “Chopped” or “House Hunters” episodes than it is to crank out prestige (read: expensive) HBO dramas.

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With more TV comes fewer movies. According to Reelgood’s count, Max has 113 fewer movies (2,264) than HBO Max (2,377). Discovery+ has never been a destination for feature films, hosting just 237 as of May 23. Ninety-six percent of Max’s film library was formerly on HBO Max; the remaining 4% are new Max Originals or shared between Max and Discovery+.

IndieWire ran Reelgood’s findings from a spokesperson for Max to verify their accuracy. We did not immediately receive a response.

In August 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery began cutting underperforming titles from its service prior to the Max merger. Some, like “Westworld,” now live on a FAST (ad-supported free streaming TV) channel , while others are also victims of cost cutting. These have included everything from HBO Max original movies like ‘An American Pickle’ and ‘Charm City Kings’ to reality shows like ‘Legendary’ and ‘Finding Magic Mike.’

HBO Max has traditionally been a top home for cinephiles, boasting a huge lineup of TCM classics and Studio Ghibli films. And by comparison, Max has even more movies than Disney+ (1,343) and Hulu (1,192) and isn’t far behind Paramount+ (2,456). According to Reelgood, as of May 4, Netflix had 3,902 movies.

Prior to Max’s launch, Warner Bros. Discovery reported that it had 97.1 million direct-to-consumer global subscribers. That issue was a combination of HBO, HBO Max, and Discovery+ linear subs.