--- title: "HBO Max vs Hulu: Which is searched more?" description: "Is HBO Max or Hulu more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the OTT platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time." canonical: "https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ott-platforms/compare/hbo-max-vs-hulu" publisher: "Brandwave" --- # HBO Max vs Hulu: Which is searched more? Is HBO Max or Hulu more popular in search? Compare estimated monthly branded-search demand and Share of Search inside the OTT platforms set worldwide. Branded searches tell you how often people look for a brand by name or related terms. Comparing these searches across competitors helps you see how popular each brand is over time. ## Key facts - **Compared**: HBO Max and Hulu - **Competitive set**: OTT platforms - **Market**: Global - **Month measured**: Sep 2026 - **HBO Max Share of Search**: 7.7% - **Hulu Share of Search**: 4.2% ## Is HBO Max or Hulu more popular in search? - In September 2026, HBO Max had more branded searches than Hulu among OTT platforms worldwide. HBO Max had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Hulu had 5 million. HBO Max made up 7.7% of all OTT platform searches we track, and Hulu accounted for 4.2%. - HBO Max was ahead of Hulu in every measured month of the 12 months ending September 2026. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HBO Max’s share of searches among OTT platforms worldwide moved from 7.4% to 7.7%, and its estimated monthly branded searches held steady at 9.1M. - Across the 12 months ending September 2026, Hulu’s share of searches among OTT platforms worldwide moved from 4.9% to 4.2%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 6.1M to 5M. ## Top OTT platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, Hulu was mentioned in four out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers and in both Google AI Overviews. HBO Max was mentioned in two out of five: in two of the three ChatGPT answers, but not in either of the two Google AI Overviews. HBO Max and Hulu were each listed first in two of the four answers that named either. Brands get a higher AI rank if they are mentioned earlier in the answers that list options. | Brand | AI rank | ChatGPT answers that named it | Google AI Overviews that named it | All answers that named it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Netflix | 1st | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Disney+ | 2nd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Prime Video | 3rd | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | HBO Max | 4th | 2 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 2 of 5 | | Hulu | 5th | 2 of 3 | 2 of 2 | 4 of 5 | | Uscreen | 6th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Brightcove | 7th | 1 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 1 of 5 | | Kaltura | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | | JW Player | Not ranked | 0 of 3 | 0 of 2 | 0 of 5 | ## Every AI answer about OTT platforms - Asked ChatGPT "Which OTT platform should I use?": 1. Netflix, 2. HBO Max, 3. Prime Video, 4. Disney+, 5. Hulu - Asked ChatGPT "What are the best OTT platforms?": 1. Netflix, 2. Prime Video, 3. HBO Max, 4. Disney+, 5. Hulu - Asked ChatGPT "What's the best OTT platform for streaming services?": 1. Uscreen, 2. Brightcove - Searched Google, AI Overview "ott platform": 1. Netflix, 2. Disney+, 3. Hulu, 4. Prime Video - Searched Google, AI Overview "video streaming platform": 1. Netflix, 2. Disney+, 3. Prime Video, 4. Hulu Not named in any answer: Kaltura and JW Player. Brands are listed in the order each answer named them. The answers were collected in the United States on October 21, 2026. ## How did search popularity change for OTT platforms worldwide in September 2026? - In September 2026, Hulu gained share of searches among OTT platforms worldwide, from 3.4% to 4.2%. ## Month by month | Month | HBO Max estimated searches | HBO Max Share of Search | HBO Max rank | Hulu estimated searches | Hulu Share of Search | Hulu rank | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Oct 2025 | 9.1M | 7.4% | 3 | 6.1M | 4.9% | 5 | | Nov 2025 | 11.1M | 8.8% | 3 | 6.1M | 4.9% | 5 | | Dec 2025 | 11.1M | 7.8% | 3 | 5M | 3.5% | 5 | | Jan 2026 | 13.6M | 9.3% | 3 | 6.1M | 4.2% | 5 | | Feb 2026 | 11.1M | 9.2% | 3 | 5M | 4.2% | 5 | | Mar 2026 | 11.1M | 8.9% | 3 | 6.1M | 4.9% | 5 | | Apr 2026 | 13.6M | 10.9% | 3 | 5M | 4% | 5 | | May 2026 | 11.1M | 9.2% | 3 | 4.1M | 3.4% | 5 | | Jun 2026 | 11.1M | 9.3% | 3 | 4.1M | 3.4% | 5 | | Jul 2026 | 9.1M | 7.8% | 3 | 4.1M | 3.5% | 5 | | Aug 2026 | 9.1M | 7.6% | 3 | 4.1M | 3.4% | 5 | | Sep 2026 | 9.1M | 7.7% | 3 | 5M | 4.2% | 5 | ## How each brand is measured Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HBO Max’s and Hulu’s names. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for these branded terms can be used to understand whether interest in the brands is growing, holding steady, or fading. - **HBO Max**: Measured on the search term “hbo max”. - **Hulu**: Measured on the search term “hulu”. - [HBO Max profile](/demand/global-en/brands/hbo-max) - [Hulu profile](/demand/global-en/brands/hulu) - [All OTT platforms worldwide](/demand/global-en/categories/ott-platforms): The set both shares are measured inside, 9 brands. ## Methodology - [How is the Brand Demand Index measured?](/demand/methodology): Where the figures come from, what they compare, and how they may be reused. ## Frequently asked questions ### Is HBO Max or Hulu more popular in search? In September 2026, HBO Max had more branded searches than Hulu among OTT platforms worldwide. HBO Max had about 9.1 million branded searches, while Hulu had 5 million. HBO Max made up 7.7% of all OTT platform searches we track, and Hulu accounted for 4.2%. ## Cite this page Brandwave. "HBO Max vs Hulu: Which is searched more?". https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ott-platforms/compare/hbo-max-vs-hulu This page is also available as HTML at https://gobrandwave.com/demand/global-en/categories/ott-platforms/compare/hbo-max-vs-hulu. Brandwave publishes an index of its Markdown pages at https://gobrandwave.com/llms.txt.