HBO Max, the streaming platform that bundles together new and existing HBO content with a massive WarnerMedia library of TV shows and movies, has officially launched in the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
The service launches with some 10,000 hours of programming, making this a serious contender to the likes of Netflix and Disney+ from day one. It costs $15 per month (covered by your existing subscription if you’re already an HBO subscribers), although a special offer makes it just $12 a month for the initial year.
The official App Store description of HBO Max is as follows:
- Thousands of hours of hit movies, addictive series, and exclusive Max Originals.
- A personalized streaming experience for up to five viewer profiles.
- Collections hand-picked by real humans — not robots.
- Download top titles to watch on your favorite devices anywhere you go.
- A curated kids’ experience that grows along with their interests.
- HBO Max Hubs devoted to your favorite fandoms.
Here’s what HBO Max has to offer
In addition to a slate of originals, there’s no shortage of big name existing content to enjoy on HBO Max. Friends, The Big Bang Theory, South Park, Gossip Girl, The West Wing, and a whole lot more are included as part of the all-star lineup.
On top of this, you get more than 2,000 movies such as Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, The Matrix and The Lord of the Rings trilogy.
The biggest question mark is what the pricing will mean for HBO Max’s success. As a long-running subscription service, plenty of people are used to paying $15 a month for HBO. Worldwide, HBO reportedly has 140 million subscribers. For existing customers, HBO Max is just extra value put on top of their existing monthly expenditure. However, it’s certainly on the higher end of video-on-demand services.
Market leader Netflix costs $12.99 per month in HD, with a Premium plan that stretches to $16. But Disney+ is an aggressively priced $6.99 per month or $70 a year. Apple TV+, while nowhere near as loaded up on content, costs $4.99 per month — but offers a free year’s subscription to people buying new Apple devices. According to Deadline, HBO Max will launch an ad-supported (and therefore presumably cheaper) tier sometime in 2021.
Do you plan to add HBO Max to your monthly subscriptions? Which video streaming service do you think offers the best value for money? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
