HBO Max released earlier this year to a bit less fanfare than execs had hoped, but the recent deal to release Warner Brothers’ 2021 catalog straight to HBO Max on each film’s opening day has certainly caught everyone’s attention.
HBO Max is the current home to two of the break-out hits in the post-apocalyptic genre for 2019/2020: Chernobyl and Raised by Wolves. But this new move will also put both Dune and The Matrix 4 in our living rooms the same day as the theatrical release. This move, along with AT&T’s inclusion of HBO Max with its unlimited mobile data bundles (AT&T owns both Warner Brothers and HBO), should help HBO Max compete with Disney+, which currently enjoys a 74 million subscriber count while HBO Max has around 38 million.
Despite this boost from AT&T and WB, HBO Max is still missing from one of the fastest growing streaming services in the United States: Roku. But HBO is starting to pay attention. According the The Motley Fool, Roku is set to see huge gains in its stock this coming week as we’ve already seen midweek when shares climbed 3%. “It’s AT&T — not Roku — that’s sweating right now,” The Motley Fool points out. “It’s Roku — and not HBO Max — that has the leverage now.”
As you might imagine, none of this bodes well for multiplex companies as we saw AMC Entertainment’s stock alone drop 16% on Wednesday.
But the silver lining here is that we will more-than-likely see HBO Max on Roku and the overall quality and availability of our favorite streaming shows will be more widespread as these companies fight for our attention.
Where to get HBO Max now (Including Discounts!)
HBO Max is currently available through several streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV devices, Apple TV phones and tablets, Chromebooks, Chromecast, Android TV phones and tablets (OS 5.0 and higher), PC and Mac, Samsung TV, Playstation 4, and Xbox One.
As for available services, you can get HBO Max through the HBO website, or through select digital storefronts like Amazon Prime Video, Apple App Store, Google Play, Samsung TV, AT&T, Hulu, certain internet providers, or YouTube TV.
If you purchase the service as a stand-alone, expect to pay $14.99 with a seven-day free trial. If you opt to get a 6-month package, you can save 20% from now until January 15th, 2021. As mentioned above, AT&T also includes HBO Max in select unlimited bundle packages.
If you already have HBO through a cable or satellite provider, you may be eligible to get HBO Max at no additional cost. These providers include Altice One, Atlantic Broadband, Apple TV Channels, AT&T U-verse, Cox, DirecTV, Optimum, RCN, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, Wow!, and Xfinity.
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