Is Max Worth It? Here’s What to Know About HBO’s New Streaming Service

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Nearly three years after it was first announced, HBO Max — the streaming service from HBO and WarnerMedia — has officially become “Max“, merging their content library with Discovery+. They’re still the home of hit shows like Succession and Mare of Easttown, and films from Warner Bros. slate of premieres (think Dune and Zack Snyder’s Justice League).

But is Max still worth the price of admission? This streaming service is different from other streaming services in a couple of ways, so we’ve broken down all the details for you below.

Max Pricing, Plans, Subscription

An “Ad-Lite” subscription to Max costs $9.99 per month for new subscribers, but Max “Ad Free”, which is similar to the old HBO Max subscription, will cost $15.99. That’s around the same price as Netflix‘s Standard plan ($15.49) but more than Disney+ ($7.99), or a Disney+ bundle that includes Disney+, EPSN+ and Hulu for just $13.99 total.

Buy Max Ad-Free Plan $15.99

The company recently announced a new “Ultimate Ad Free” $19.99 tier that includes four concurrent streams, up to 4K HD resolution, 100 offline downloads and Dolby Atmos sound quality, which makes it more competitive with those other services. Get the $19.99 ad-free Max plan here.

Buy Max Ultimate Ad Free Plan $19.99

If you don’t want to sign up for an account on your computer, there are a couple of other ways to subscribe:

How to Get Max Through Cable Company

Max comes with a traditional subscription to HBO, which you can add to a cable package through the following providers: AT&T TV, DIRECTV, U-Verse TV, Cox, Optimum, Spectrum, Verizon Fios TV, and others. Call up your cable provider for more information on how to sign up.

How to Watch Max On a Smartphone Or Tablet

If you want to watch Max shows on your phone or tablet, simply download the new Max app on your iOS or Android device, and you’ll be prompted to log into your account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up from inside the app itself. Most previous subscribers to HBO Max will have their app automatically convert to the new Max app starting May 23.

Can You Watch Max on Media Streamers, Game Consoles, and Smart TVs?

The Max app is available on Apple TV, Samsung TVs released after 2016, the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Roku and Fire TV devices. Once downloaded, open the app and you’ll be prompted to log into your account. If you don’t have one, you can sign up from inside the app itself.

What Can You Watch on Max? Succession, Last of Us, Game Of Thrones

All streaming services work the same way: pick what you want to watch, and start streaming. What differentiates Max is its library of exclusive catalog titles and upcoming original shows, now including a whole new slate of former Discovery+ content as well. HBO says there are already 10,000 hours of “curated” content available to stream, and we’ve highlighted some of the most interesting titles below.

WarnerMedia owns the rights to movies and TV shows going back 100 years, so this is the only place you’ll be able to stream classic shows like Friends, Rick and Morty, Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown, and Doctor Who. The media company also owns the rights to several blockbuster films, like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Friday The 13th, A Hard Day’s Night, Casablanca, The Lord of the Rings, Citizen Kane, North By Northwest, Gone With The Wind, and Braveheart.

Max will now also include Discovery shows like House Hunters, Property Brothers, Chopped, Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Say Yes to the Dress, Deadliest Catch, Mythbusters, as well as Magnolia Network series including Fixer Upper and Magnolia Table With Joanna Gaines.

A Max subscription naturally includes access to the entire HBO catalog, which includes Game of Thrones, The Last of Us, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Veep, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Westworld. Finally, Max is the only service that allows you to stream anime films from the legendary Japanese film studio Studio Ghibli. This marks the first time these films have been available to stream on any platform. See more of what to stream on Max here.

Max New TV Shows and Movies

Beyond catalog titles, Max has an entire list of high profile original TV shows and movies called “Max Originals”. The service initially launched with On The Record, a documentary chronicling the life of famous music executive Drew Dixon, Love Life, a “romantic comedy anthology” series whose first season stars Anna Kendrick, Zoë Chao, Peter Vack, and Sasha Compère, and The Not-Too-Late Show With Elmo. 

Max’s latest originals include the Love and Death, the The Flight Attendant and Tokyo Vice; the back catalog for those shows are available on the service as well.

HBO Original TV shows have launched with a handful of episodes, and new ones will be released on a weekly basis. The number of episodes per season will vary based on the show. Max’s library is deeper than the ones you’ll find on Netflix, and its slate of exclusives and originals help keep it competitive.

Max vs. Netflix

One big difference between Max and streaming services like Netflix is that HBO and WarnerMedia own the rights to the content they’re streaming. That means movies and TV shows won’t be taken down because licensing agreements have run out.

But: WarnerMedia’s archives are huge, so it may cycle some shows and movies on and off Max as it sees fit. This is never going to be a service that allows you to see every single thing in the WarnerMedia vault, at least not for now.

More and more traditional media companies have created their own streaming services (Think: NBC’s Peacock and CBS’s Paramount+) to maintain exclusive streaming rights on their content, and avoid splitting revenue with a third party.

HBO and WarnerMedia can acquire the rights to more shows and movies, so the Max library has the opportunity to grow over time, but that’s not guaranteed.

The Bottom Line: Is Max Worth It?

If you’re already an HBO subscriber, the choice of whether or not to get Max has been decided for you; start streaming. As we said earlier, Max has a deep back catalog and upcoming exclusives won’t be available to stream anywhere else.

In our mind, that makes a Max subscription more than worth it. Even at the higher $19.99 tier, the monthly price is cheaper than a movie ticket to see the new releases in theaters. And unlike a theater, where you have to deal with lineups and sold-out seats, a Max subscription lets you watch all the new shows and films from the comfort and safety of home.

The best part: your Max subscription gets you unlimited viewing too — so you can watch your favorite programming on-demand and as many times as you want.

Buy Max Ad Free Tier $15.99

Learn how to sign up for a Max free trial here.