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Everything you need to know about HBO Max pricing, original content, and more

Published May 27th, 2020 4:12PM EDT
HBO Max TV
Image: WarnerMedia

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  • HBO Max launched today and offers up more than 10,000 hours of programming.
  • HBO Max is priced at $15/month but is free for existing HBO subscribers
  • HBO Max is the best streaming service for movie fans and also offers a compelling selection of TV shows, including Friends and Rick and Morty.

After months of anticipation, HBO Max finally launched today. And sure, the world may not need yet another streaming service, but HBO Max is particularly compelling and could very well prove to be a viable contender in an already crowded space dominated by the likes of Netflix and Hulu.

If there’s one word to describe HBO Max, it would be content. And a whole lot of it. To put HBO Max into perspective, consider this: HBO Max will have about twice as much content as what’s currently available on HBO. All told, HBO Max offers a massive library of movies, original content, and TV shows that simply can’t be seen anywhere else. If you’re at all curious about whether or not HBO Max is for you, there are a few things you should know in terms of pricing and content.

HBO Max doesn’t come cheap when you compare it to services like Netflix and Hulu. If you’re a new subscriber, HBO Max will cost you $15/month. Note that you can also enjoy a free trial week of HBO Max if you’re on the fence.

If you’re already an HBO subscriber — either via your cable company or through HBO NOW — you’ll be able to enjoy HBO Max at no additional cost.

HBO adds:

New subscribers can sign up for HBO Max directly through HBOMax.com or through AT&T, DIRECTV, U-Verse TV, Apple, Cox, Google Play, Hulu, Optimum, Samsung Smart TV, Spectrum, Suddenlink, Verizon Fios, YouTube TV, and select independent cable, broadband and telco providers through the NCTC, including WOW!, Atlantic Broadband, RCN and MCTV.

A full list of providers can be viewed here.

In stark contrast to Apple TV+ and Quibi, HBO Max will be easy to access from any number of devices, including Android devices, Android TVs, iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, Chromecast, desktop Macs and PCs, video game consoles like PS4 and Xbox One, and recent Samsung Smart TVs.

With respect to content, HBO Max will offer users everything currently available on HBO and a whole a lot more. HBO boasts that HBO Max will house more than 10,000 hours of programming, including movies and TV series from Warner Bros.’ 100-year library.

What’s more, HBO Max will boast content from “New Line; catalog titles from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth and Looney Tunes Cartoons.” There will also be a “selection of classic films curated in partnership with TCM.”

Some of the more notable shows available with HBO Max include Friends, Impractical Jokers, The Bachelor, The West Wing, Rick and Morty, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, Big Bang Theory, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.

HBO Max will also offer up a slate of original programming:

Max Originals available at launch include Love LifeOn the RecordLegendaryCraftopiaLooney Tunes Cartoons and The Not-Too-Late Show with ElmoThroughout the summer, new Max Originals will debut, including Karmaan original second season of the critically acclaimed DC fan favorite Doom Patrolan original second season ofSesame Workshop’s animated seriesEsme & Roy,the return of the critically beloved mystery comedy Search Party, the first of four animated specials of Adventure Time: Distant Lands- BMO, the three-part documentary series Expecting Amythe adult animated comedy Close Enoughthe 1988-set comedy Frayed, the heart-warming British animal rescue series The Dog House, the generational family docuseries The House of Ho, the animated children’s series Tig N’ Seek, and Seth Rogen’s feature length comedy An American Pickle.

If you’re more into movies, HBO Max easily trounces all other streaming services and offers some big titles like Crazy Rich Asians, A Star is Born, Aquaman, Joker, every single Harry Potter movie, and a lot more:

Viewers will also be able to instantly watch films acquired specifically for HBO Max via Warner Bros., The Criterion Collection, and the acclaimed Studio Ghibli, which is streaming for the first time ever in the U.S. Other films that will be available at launch include Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings, Citizen Kane, Gremlins, and the Lego movies, as well as classic favorites like 2001: A Space Odyssey, An American in Paris, Blood Diamond, Braveheart, Friday the 13th, Godzilla, Gone with the Wind, the Beatles’ A Hard Day’s Night, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, the A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, North by Northwest, Rebel without a Cause, Singin’ in the Rain and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.

Films available throughout the first year of launch include The Matrix, The Goonies, When Harry Met Sally, Blade Runner: The Final Cut, the Lethal Weapon series, Monsters Vs. Aliens and V for Vendetta, every Batman and Superman theatrical release from the last 40 years, along with every DC film from the last decade, including Wonder Woman and Justice League.

There’s no denying that Netflix is the juggernaut of streaming, but don’t be surprised to see HBO Max make a splash over the next few months. If anything, the recent success of Disney+ proves that a new streaming service with the right type of content can quickly attract a large base of new subscribers.

Yoni Heisler Contributing Writer

Yoni Heisler has been writing about Apple and the tech industry at large with over 15 years of experience. A life long expert Mac user and Apple expert, his writing has appeared in Edible Apple, Network World, MacLife, Macworld UK, and TUAW.

When not analyzing the latest happenings with Apple, Yoni enjoys catching Improv shows in Chicago, playing soccer, and cultivating new TV show addictions.