HBO Max vs JW Player:Which is more popular?
In September 2026, HBO Max had more branded searches than JW Player among OTT platforms worldwide. HBO Max had about 9.1 million branded searches, while JW Player had 9,800. HBO Max made up 7.7% of all OTT platform searches we track, and JW Player accounted for <0.01%. When we asked ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about OTT platforms, HBO Max appeared in two of the five answers and JW Player in none.
Who do people search for more?
HBO Max, about 933 searches for every 1 for JW Player
Who does AI mention more?
HBO Max, mentioned in 2 of 5 answers, JW Player in 0
Who does AI recommend more?
HBO Max, the only one of the two named
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Top OTT platforms in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews
In three ChatGPT questions and two 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. JW Player did not appear in any of the five answers.
Most recommended by AI
Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.
Netflix1st
Disney+2nd
Prime Video3rd- HBO Max4th
Hulu5th
Uscreen6th
Brightcove7th
Kaltura–
JW Player–
Mentioned by AI
Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.
- Netflix4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Disney+4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Prime Video4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- Hulu4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
- HBO Max2 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Uscreen1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Brightcove1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- Kaltura0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
- JW Player0 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers
See every answer about OTT platforms
5 answers
Asked ChatGPT
“Which OTT platform should I use?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What are the best OTT platforms?”
Asked ChatGPT
“What's the best OTT platform for streaming services?”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“ott platform”
Searched Google, AI Overview
“video streaming platform”
Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 21, 2026.
Is HBO Max or JW Player more popular in search?
This chart shows how often people search Google for HBO Max and JW Player by name. Each line represents a brand's share of searches for all nine OTT platforms we track, month by month, from English-language searches worldwide.
Share of searches by month for HBO Max, JW Player. The figures are in the table below the chart.
View monthly share of searches table
| Month | Netflix | Disney+ | HBO Max | Prime Video | Hulu | Kaltura | Uscreen | JW Player | Brightcove |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 66.9% | 13.4% | 7.4% | 7.4% | 4.9% | 0.03% | <0.01% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Nov 2025 | 65.9% | 13.2% | 8.8% | 7.2% | 4.9% | 0.03% | <0.01% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Dec 2025 | 70.7% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jan 2026 | 68.9% | 11.3% | 9.3% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Feb 2026 | 69.1% | 11.3% | 9.2% | 6.2% | 4.2% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Mar 2026 | 66.8% | 13.3% | 8.9% | 6% | 4.9% | 0.03% | <0.01% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Apr 2026 | 66.8% | 10.9% | 10.9% | 7.3% | 4% | 0.03% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| May 2026 | 68.6% | 11.2% | 9.2% | 7.5% | 3.4% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jun 2026 | 69.6% | 11.4% | 9.3% | 6.3% | 3.4% | 0.02% | <0.01% | 0.01% | <0.01% |
| Jul 2026 | 70.8% | 11.6% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 3.5% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Aug 2026 | 69% | 13.8% | 7.6% | 6.2% | 3.4% | 0.02% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
| Sep 2026 | 70.2% | 11.5% | 7.7% | 6.3% | 4.2% | 0.03% | <0.01% | <0.01% | <0.01% |
How has the HBO Max and JW Player comparison changed over the last 12 months?
3 findings
- HBO Max was ahead of JW Player 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, JW Player’s share of searches among OTT platforms worldwide moved from 0.01% to <0.01%, and its estimated monthly branded searches moved from 13.5K to 9.8K.
How did search popularity change for OTT platforms worldwide in September 2026?
1 change
Estimated monthly branded searches for JW Player worldwide fell 27.4% over 12 measured months, from 13.5K to 9.8K in September 2026.
How are branded searches counted?
3 search terms
Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HBO Max’s and JW Player’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.
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