• by Wayne Friedman , July 9, 2019

WarnerMedia's highly touted new D2C (direct-to-consumer) streaming service now has a name, HBO Max, and a launch date,  spring of 2020. To date, there are no consumer pricing plans.

The new service will offer exclusive original programming -- so-called “Max Originals” -- as well as library products from all WarnerMedia properties, including HBO, Warner Bros.-produced TV shows and Turner networks original content.

All told, HBO Max will start with 10,000 hours of programming.

The list will include library airings of “Friends,” which runs on Turner’s TBS channel, as well as D2C streaming service Netflix.

Starting in 2020, HBO Max will have exclusive streaming rights to all 236 episodes of “Friends,” a show reportedly garnering some of the highest viewership on Netflix, a potential rival service to HBO Max.

HBO Max will have the rights to Warner Bros.-produced shows, such as “Pretty Little Liars,” currently airing on HBO’s traditional cable TV network, as well as the rights to older TV network shows produced by Warner Bros. such as “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air.”

HBO Max will also be the exclusive home to new Warner Bros.’ produced dramas after airing on The CW, the linear TV network, beginning with the fall 2019 season. This includes the new DC Entertainment series “Batwoman” and “Riverdale” spinoff “Katy Keene.”

AT&T's WarnerMedia is a 50-50 partner with CBS in the ownership of the CW.

In addition,, new original movies are set to launch from veteran TV producer Greg Berlanti and TV performer/producer Reese Witherspoon. There will be a new TV series “The Flight Attendant” from TV performer/producer Kaley Cuoco and Berlanti, and “Love Life” from TV performer/producer Anna Kendrick, and executive producer Paul Feig.

WarnerMedia did not disclose consumer pricing for HBO Max. More details will be revealed at a fall event, according to a WarnerMedia spokesman.

In addition, there are plans for an advertising component for other WarnerMedia D2C tiers launching after HBO Max, according to the spokesman. Initially, AT&T said it planned to launch a three-tier WarnerMedia subscription service.