Warner Bros. Discovery has unveiled Max, its big consolidated streamer that will supersede the three-year-old HBO Max service and pull in content from Discovery+. So what does this mean for current HBO Max customers?
One big change: Following the launch of Max, all 4K Ultra HD content will be available only to subscribers of the new service’s most expensive tier, Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month). Currently, HBO Max’s ad-free plan includes a selection of 4K programming.
Otherwise, HBO Max customers mainly will see a boatload of new content and enhanced features in Max, which is adding programming from Discovery brands like HGTV, Discovery Channel and Food Network. Warner Bros. Discovery said existing HBO Max subscribers will have access to Max at the same price as their HBO Max subscription ($15.99/month without ads; $9.99/month with ads). However, the regular Max ad-free tier will offer two concurrent streams, whereas HBO Max has offered up to three. The Max Ultimate Ad Free plan will offer up to four simultaneous streams.
Warner Bros. Discovery said it expects Max will be available on the same devices as HBO Max.
Additionally, HBO Max subscribers will still have access to their current plan features for a minimum of six months following the launch of Max. HBO Max subscribers’ profiles, settings, watch history, “Continue Watching,” and “My List” items will also migrate to Max so they can pick up streaming where they left off.
If you get HBO with your cable or satellite TV package, you may have access to Max at no extra cost, according to Warner Bros. Discovery. The company is listing which pay-TV providers will support Max at this link; right now, the site doesn’t indicate which tier will be available to cable and satellite customers. Distribution partners currently lined up to offer Max are: AT&T, Cox, Cricket, DirecTV, Dish, Hulu, Altice USA’s Optimum, Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, Charter’s Spectrum, Verizon and Comcast’s Xfinity.
Warner Bros. Discovery said Max Ultimate will have an expanded catalog of content available in 4K UHD including from franchises such as “Game of Thrones,” “The Last of Us,” “Harry Potter,” “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Dark Knight Trilogy” and more. In addition, all Warner Bros. movies released this year and in the future will also be available in 4K UHD when they arrive on Max following their theatrical windows, the company announced.
The company wanted to keep the price points of Max in line with HBO Max “because we think it’s unbelievable value for everything you get at that price,” JB Perrette, president and CEO of global streaming and games, told reporters at the launch event.
“There’s no streaming service in the world that has more higher-end consumers than HBO Max,” he said. “And so our view was, let’s not try and take more money out of the wallets of people who can maybe less afford it. But rather get them to sample it at a great price. And if there are people who want higher-quality [4K video], who want all the bells and whistles and who can afford it, we’ve got a price for you and it’s $4 more than the $15.99 [per month].”
In announcing the Max service, Perrette said, “This new brand signals an important change from two narrower products, HBO Max and Discovery+, to our broader content offering and consumer proposition. While each product offered something for some people, Max will have a broad array of quality choices for everybody.”
Current HBO Max subscribers can visit this link for more information. The company said Discovery+, currently priced at $4.99/month with ads and $6.99/month without ads in the U.S., will continue as a standalone service.
Warner Bros. Discovery said it ended 2022 with 96.1 million streaming customers worldwide, inclusive of HBO Max, Discovery+ and other services. The company doesn’t break out the number of HBO or HBO Max subscribers separately.
Michael Schneider contributed to this report.
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