Max’s New Homepage Personalization Tech Makes Viewers Stick Around, Says Exec

If you’ve recently logged into Max, formerly known as HBO Max, you might have noticed a more tailored experience with personalized rows of content across your entire homepage. This is the result of a new “whole page optimization” system rolled out in the US last month, designed to encourage viewers to keep coming back. According to Warner Bros. Discovery, the strategy is proving effective.

Enhanced Viewer Engagement

Liesel Kipp, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Senior Vice President of Global Streaming Product, shared with The Verge that the company has observed a “meaningful lift” in viewer engagement. This includes longer watch times, increased return visits, and a broader range of shows being explored by users. “The system can really help consumers find those hidden gems on Max,” Kipp notes.

Personalized Content Recommendations

Similar to algorithms used by Netflix, Max’s new system leverages your viewing history and patterns to curate content that aligns with your preferences. It organizes shows and movies into personalized categories based on your interests. For example, if you enjoy thrillers, you might see a collection titled “heart-pounding thrills” at the top of your page. If horror is more your style, you could find a category named “supernatural scares.”

Previously, Max combined human curation with limited personalization, affecting only individual rows of content. The new system revamps the entire homepage to reflect your tastes, making the overall experience more cohesive and engaging.

Reducing Redundancy and Enhancing Relevance

Max ensures that you don’t see repeated titles on your homepage while making less relevant content less visible. “We’re going to refine and make sure those collections and those rails that are most relevant to you are the things that bubble up,” Kipp explains. However, Max will still highlight some of its most popular titles, like House of the Dragon, regardless of your personal taste, to maintain a balance between personalization and promoting key content.

Future Plans for Personalization

Max has ambitious plans to further enhance content personalization. This includes a Netflix-like rating system, currently being tested, that allows users to rank titles as “love,” “like,” or “not for me.” Additionally, Max is experimenting with AI to understand the social and emotional context within titles, which will be used to refine recommendations further.

Competing in a Crowded Streaming Market

In an era with a plethora of streaming choices, it’s crucial for services to retain subscribers. Netflix’s sophisticated content recommendation system is a significant factor in its success, boasting nearly 270 million global subscribers. Other services, such as Disney Plus, are reportedly considering similar systems to stay competitive.

Max’s new personalized homepage is a strategic move to enhance user engagement and satisfaction, positioning itself as a strong contender in the crowded streaming landscape.

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