Case Study: CircleMax
Social Streaming for the Modern Viewer
Industry Partner for the Brainstation’s Industry Project Hackathon:
Warner Bros. Discovery
Warner Bros. Discovery is a premier global media and entertainment company, home to some of the most iconic storytellers in the world. Their portfolio spans television, film, sports, news, streaming, and gaming.
As part of their digital evolution, they’ve launched Max, a unified streaming platform that brings together content from top-tier networks.
Problem Space
With such a wide array of content under one digital roof, the Max app aims to be a one-stop platform for diverse viewer interests, offering:
Content Variety across genres and age groups
Live Programming, such as events and sports
Device Flexibility with seamless multi-platform access
Personalized Profiles for different household members
However, users often feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of content. Despite having profiles, many still struggle to discover content they love, leading to:
Low engagement
Drop-in session time
Churn due to content fatigue
Challenge Statement
How might we improve content recommendations in the Max app to help users easily discover content that is tailored to their individual preferences, ultimately to:
1. increase engagement,
2. enhance retention, and
3. encourage users to upgrade to premium streaming plans.
As part of the hackathon challenge, each team was asked to choose one out of five Warner Bros. Discovery Networks to anchor their concept.
1. HBO 2. Discovery 3. HGTV
4. Cartoon Network 5. TNT
Research
Market Research
User Challenges
Max has 13% market share (trailing Netflix and Prime)
2024 Streaming Market: $129B → Projected $416B by 2030
Rising social media usage pulling attention away from streaming platforms
Information overload across genres and networks
Lack of meaningful discovery mechanisms
Solo viewing feels isolating—no shared enthusiasm or trends
Our team chose HBO, focusing on its highly engaging scripted series and original content, to explore how social dynamics could enrich content discovery and drive deeper emotional engagement among users.
Our Solution: CircleMax
CircleMax is a social-first enhancement to the Max app that reintroduces the community-driven joy of streaming. It allows users to:
Discover what their friends and social groups are watching
Get socially-informed content recommendations
Share reactions, watchlists, and favorites asynchronously
Interact casually—without needing co-watching sessions
Based on market research and user pain points, I crafted a persona to visualize the experience from the user's perspective.
"I love making fan theories. It is always awesome when I watch a series with my friends & discuss it. It also makes binge-watching way more fun!"
USER PERSONA: ALEX JOHNSON
Age Occupation Status Location
25 years Digital Marketing Specialist Single Toronto, CA
PERSONALITY
Introvert Analytical Busy Messy Independent
Extrovert Creative Time rich Organized Team player
A tech-savvy urbanite passionate about fantasy genre, Alex loves binge-watching series and films. Social by nature, he always looks forward to discussing House of Dragons with his friends. Once in a while opens Reddit to read about fan theories.
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To connect & engage with friends over their favorite content.
Develop new/refine existing fan theories.
Discover new shows together.
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Watching alone feels isolating, and I love to discuss good shows with my friends.
Difficulty coordinating watch parties or sharing recommendations with friends.
Sometimes, due to my busy schedule, I miss some good shows & movies until my friends ask me about them.
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Frequently discusses the series with colleagues and friends online and develops fan theories.
Regularly uses social media to share opinions on shows.
Stepping into Alex’s shoes, I mapped how he would naturally interact with CircleMax on the Max app.
