Warner Bros. Discovery will shut down four of its multiplex linear channels — HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax and OuterMax — in August, per a programming notice from Spectrum.
“At Spectrum, we are committed to providing you with exceptional service and want to alert you of changes before they happen,” the notice states. “Effective on or after Aug. 15, 2025, HBO Family, ThrillerMax, MovieMax and OuterMax will cease programming and will no longer be available. You can change the level of your service or disconnect at no cost within 30 days of receiving this notice.”
A spokesperson for Warner Bros. Discovery declined to comment beyond the notice.
HBO Family, which first launched in 1996, is known for kid-friendly programming such as “Sesame Street.” ThrillerMax, which launched in 1998, specializes in horror, mystery, suspense and thrillers and runs a primetime film block called “When the Clock Strikes 10.”
MovieMax, which first launched in 2001, is known for broadcasting films aimed at young adults between the ages of 18 and 34. It was previously known as WMax, which was targeted at a female audience, and featured dramas, mysteries and classic romance films. OuterMax, which launched in 2001, runs science fiction, horror and fantasy films and features a late-night film block known as “Graveyard Shift.”
HBO will continue to offer multiplex channels HBO2, HBO Signature, HBO Comedy, HBO Zone and HBO Latino, while Cinemax offers MoreMax, ActionMax, 5 Star Max and Cinemáx.
The move comes after WBD announced plans to split up its Studios & Streaming and Global Networks businesses into two separate companies earlier this week. The change is expected in take place in mid-2026.
The Studios & Streaming business will include Warner Bros. Television Group, Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group, DC Studios, HBO and HBO Max, Warner Bros. Games, Tours, Retail and Experiences, as well as studio production facilities in Burbank and Leavesden.
Executives have said that the streaming business is on track to generate at least $1.3 billion in profit by the end of 2025 and reach at least 150 million streaming subscribers by the end of 2026, which it plans to achieve through a combination of expanding Max internationally, strategic distribution partnerships and driving higher penetration of its ad-supported tier. Meanwhile, the studios business is targeting at least $3 billion in annual profit, with a specific timeline for achieving that unclear.
Global Networks will include CNN, TNT Sports in the U.S., Discovery, top free-to-air channels across Europe, Discovery+ and Bleacher Report (B/R). It will retain a 20% stake in the studios and streaming business to help the company deleverage and is expected to take the majority of WBD’s roughly $37 billion in gross debt.
