For nearly three years now, HBO Max has made great strides to prove it’s not the worst streaming service with programs like the 2021 Warner Bros. film slate debuting in theaters and the platform simultaneously, a deep library of movies, new shows like The Last of Us, as well returning HBO series like Succession and Barry.
If you have yet to sign up for the streaming service and want to know more about HBO Max then you have come to the right place. Below is a quick yet comprehensive breakdown of the HBO Max price, the different models, and other key information about the popular service.
How To Get HBO Max
Before you go and get yourself all worked up in a frenzy about trying to justify spending money on another streaming service, there’s a good chance you already have access to HBO Max. And if not, signing up is fairly easy.
If you have HBO through a cable/satellite/internet TV provider then you already have HBO Max (the ad-free version at that) and don’t have to pay any additional charges each month. All you need to do is download the HBO Max app on a supported device (more on those later), and simply sign in through your provider. In the event you have a smaller cable/satellite provider that’s not one of the bigger and more known companies and want to make sure you have access, the HBO Max website has a full list of providers (opens in new tab).
If you have one of the eligible plans through AT&T, you already have access to HBO Max. If you have AT&T Unlimited Elite (wireless plan) or AT&T 1000 plan (where available), then HBO Max is included with your package at no additional charge. Specific details and terms can be found at AT&T (opens in new tab).
If you have neither of those plans, you’re not out of luck; you will just have to sign up for HBO Max on your own, which takes little to no time at all.
If you're not an HBO Max subscriber, you can sign up here (opens in new tab).
How Much Does HBO Max Cost?
The standard, ad-free version of HBO Max had remained the same since the inception of the platform back in May 2020, but that all changed in January 2023, when the cost increased by a dollar to $15.99 per month.
The annual ad-free plan of $149.99, as well as the ad-supported model ($9.99 per month or $99 per year), all remain unchanged by the decision.
These two plans, while offering a lot of the same content, have some very key differences in terms of what is included and the overall viewing experience (remember, the less-expensive model has commercial breaks), which we are about to break down.
But this will change again come May 23, 2023, when HBO Max becomes simply known as Max, at which point three new pricing options will become available.
What’s Included With The Ad-Supported HBO Max Model
The ad-supported version of HBO Max is cheaper than the standard option, but there are some serious tradeoffs that you will be forced to deal with in order to save $5/month. Obviously, you will have to sit through ads, though Next TV has reported the number of commercials is much lighter than on other streaming services with similar models. It should be noted that while episodes of Friends, Big Bang Theory, and other licensed content on HBO have ad breaks, none of the HBO original programming has any interruptions.
What’s Included With The Ad-Free HBO Max Model
The standard ad-free version of HBO Max comes with everything that’s included with the cheaper version but doesn’t have any of the drawbacks of its less-expensive counterpart. You will be able to enjoy everything on HBO Max with select movies in 4K Ultra HD , as well as the option to download movies and shows on supported devices. So if you’re looking for great documentaries, action movies, or just something to watch while you doze off to sleep, you’re more than covered here, especially if you want to enjoy movies like The Suicide Squad and Dune in the highest possible quality.
HBO Max Supported Devices
Before you get a service like HBO Max it is probably best to check the list of supported devices to make sure the streaming box, gaming console, or smart TV you use to take in all your digital content can handle all the movies, shows, and other programming included in the platform’s offerings. Remember when HBO Max wasn’t supported by Roku for more than six months after the service first went live and was only added just before Wonder Woman 1984 launched in December 2020 (some of us will never forget)?
Here is a sampling of supported devices: Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Apple TV, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5, Roku, Samsung TV, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and select cable boxes. For a full, detailed list of supported devices and the specifics about each one, here's HBO Max's support page (opens in new tab).
Are HBO GO And HBO Now Still Around?
When HBO Max launched in May 2020 the future of the HBO GO (the streaming service that required cable credentials) and HBO Now (standalone streaming service) apps seemed uncertain. Well, it didn’t take long for WarnerMedia to “sunset,” aka kill off, the HBO Go App, and according to The Verge, the app was removed from various platforms by the end of July 2020 and became simply known as the HBO app. The HBO Now app followed suit in December 2020, when HBO Max became available on the last remaining streaming devices like Roku.
HBO Max will soon be called Max, thanks to the Warner Bros. Discovery merger. We have put together a quick guide for the Max streaming service so you can have all the details about the platform ahead of its May 23rd launch. But in the meantime, make sure to check out some of the 2023 TV shows that will soon call HBO Max, and later Max, home.
