By India McCarty
HBO Max continues its efforts to rebrand and attract new subscribers, but its latest decision to cut family-friendly channel HBO Family has many users disappointed and confused.
“Effective on or after August 15, 2025, HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax, & OuterMax will cease programming and will no longer be available,” a message from Spectrum to customers explained.
HBO Family will shut down on August 15th. pic.twitter.com/KjEbeuOdbN
— ToonHive (@ToonHive) June 12, 2025
However, many customers are confused about why these channels are being removed — and what, exactly, these channels are.
“This is the most uninformative email I’ve ever received. I don’t even know what is included with HBO Family,” one person wrote on Reddit, per TheStreet. Another commented, “I was confused by this email because I have no idea what HBO Family even means or what shows it covers.”
One user claimed, “I tried contacting both HBO and Hulu to find out what shows are part of HBO Family, since there’s no way to actually look that up on either service. Apparently there isn’t a way for their support teams to find that info either, at least not right now.”
HBO Family was launched in 1996 and, as Variety explained, aired some original programming over the years and eventually became the repository for HBO’s children’s content.
It’s still unclear what TV shows and movies will be removed from the streaming service as part of this content cut.
Related: Warner Bros. Discovery Axes Four Channels Amid Company Split
HBO and parent company Warner Bros. Discovery have been sharing their plans for a rebrand over the past few months, explaining that their new strategy involves pulling back on unscripted and children’s content.
“This evolution has been influenced by changing consumer needs, and the fact that no consumer today is saying they want more content, but most consumers are saying they want better content,” the company said in a statement. “With other services filling the more basic needs with volume, WBD has clearly distinguished itself through its quality and distinct stories, and no brand has done that better and more consistently over 50-plus years than HBO.”
They also plan to split the company into two distinct parts — Streaming & Studios, which will consist of Warner Bros. Television, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, and Global Networks, which will focus on entertainment, sports and news brands like CNN, TNT Sports and Discovery.
David Zaslav, current president and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery and planned head of the Streaming & Studios department, said, “By operating as two distinct and optimized companies in the future, we are empowering these iconic brands with the sharper focus and strategic flexibility they need to compete most effectively in today’s evolving media landscape.”
WBD is working hard to rebrand HBO and satisfy its customers, but after cutting their family-friendly and children’s content, it won’t be a surprise if it ends up losing subscribers.
Read Next: Warner Bros. Discovery’s Split Explained
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