HBO Max is WarnerMedia's ambitious attempt to take on Netflix, and it's now available to stream — here's how to sign up

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• HBO Max, WarnerMedia’s new subscription-based streaming service, is now available for $14.99 per month.
• HBO Max offers access to everything on HBO, along with new exclusive series and hundreds of additional movies and TV shows.
• In most cases, current HBO pay-TV subscribers can access HBO Max as part of their subscription.
• We’ve broken down everything you need to know about HBO Max, including what to do if you’re already using HBO Now or HBO Go.
• See more: The best streaming services you can sign up for online

HBO Max is a new streaming service that blends HBO’s wildly popular original programming with a huge catalog of blockbuster movies and TV shows provided by WarnerMedia. HBO Max launched on May 27 for $14.99 per month, which is the same price as HBO’s other streaming platform, HBO Now. Though HBO Now is still available and will soon be rebranded simply as HBO, HBO Max is essentially being positioned as a replacement for that service. 

HBO Max features way more content than HBO Now’s current offerings, including shows like “Friends” and “Rick and Morty.” The streaming service also offers new exclusive titles, like an Anna Kendrick-led comedy, an untitled cooking show hosted by Selena Gomez, and a reboot of “The Boondocks.”

With its large collection of movies and TV shows, and a growing slate of original programming, HBO Max is well-poised to compete with Netflix, Disney Plus, and Amazon Prime Video in the increasingly crowded streaming market.

Updated on 06/17/2020 by Kevin Webb: We’ve revised this article to include new details about the termination of HBO Go and the rebranding of HBO Now to HBO.

When can I sign up for HBO Max?

You can sign up for HBO Max right now through its official website, HBOMax.com.  In addition to the HBO Max website, you can also sign up for an HBO Max subscription directly through select partner services, including AT&T, DirecTV, AT&T U-Verse, Spectrum, Hulu, YouTube TV, Apple TV, and Google Play.

Meanwhile, if you’re already an HBO Now or HBO pay-TV customer, you likely now have access to HBO Max as part of your current subscription. In most cases, you can simply use your existing account information to sign into the HBO Max app. You can view a full list of qualifying HBO Now and HBO pay-TV providers here.

How much does HBO Max cost?

HBO Max costs $14.99 per month, the same price as HBO Now and one dollar less than a premium Netflix subscription. For that price, you get ad-free access to all of the platform’s content. 

As mentioned above, most people who already subscribe to HBO Now or the HBO cable channel are eligible to receive HBO Max at no extra cost to their current subscription fee.

The differences between HBO Max, HBO Go, and HBO Now

HBO Max is a new streaming platform combining HBO’s iconic original programming with an even larger library of movies and shows from WarnerMedia. The service is essentially being positioned as a replacement for HBO’s other two existing streaming options: HBO Go and HBO Now. 

HBO Go is a streaming companion app for current HBO cable subscribers, while HBO Now is a standalone streaming option for cord-cutters who want to watch HBO without a cable plan. On July 31, HBO Go will be terminated, and HBO Now will be renamed to just HBO. Most people who currently use HBO Go will simply be able to use HBO Max instead. You can see if your pay-TV provider qualifies for HBO Max here. 

HBO (formerly HBO Now) will continue to include streaming access to the same library of content that HBO cable subscribers can watch. This includes HBO original programming and the channel’s rotating selection of movies.

HBO Max, however, builds upon this content selection by incorporating more original titles and hundreds of additional TV shows and movies from the WarnerMedia catalog, like “The Big Bang Theory” “Rick and Morty,” “The Lord of the Rings,” and “Sesame Street.” HBO Max also allows you to download and store your favorite shows on your devices to watch while you’re offline or traveling. 

For the time being, HBO and HBO Max each cost $14.99 a month. Since HBO Max offers a larger streaming library than HBO, it’s clearly the better choice for subscribers. With that said, the HBO Max app is still missing from a few key media platforms, including Roku and Fire TV devices. If you primarily watch streaming content on one of those products, the regular HBO streaming service is currently your only option. 

Where can I watch HBO Max?

HBO Max can be streamed via its official website and the HBO Max app. You can find the app on Apple, Android, PlayStation, Xbox, and Chromecast, as well as Samsung smart TVs. Roku and Fire TV products are not yet supported.

Those who sign up for HBO Max directly though a partnered service, like Hulu or Apple TV, will also be able to access HBO Max content through the partner service’s corresponding app.

What shows and movies are on HBO Max?

HBO Max features all of HBO’s original shows, from “The Wire” and “The Sopranos” to “Westworld and “Game of Thrones.” The library also includes the cable channel’s rotating lineup of movies and documentaries. On top of all that, HBO Max also offers additional movies and shows from WarnerMedia’s catalog, as well as new exclusive titles.

HBO Max also launched with handful of new original series, including “Love Life,” a comedy show starring Anna Kendrick, and “Looney Tunes Cartoons,” a new animated series featuring Bugs Bunny and company. An animated comedy starring Seth Rogan and Sarah Silverman has also been announced for later this year.

Beyond original HBO programs, the HBO Max catalog will feature a wide range of TV series, including “Friends,” “Rick and Morty,” “The Big Bang Theory,” “Sesame Street” and “Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown.” The full library will incorporate TV offerings from DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Rooster Teeth, Looney Tunes, and Warner Bros.

The HBO Max movie catalog incorporates critically acclaimed films from the Criterion Collection and Studio Ghibli, alongside hundreds of blockbuster WarnerMedia movies, like “The Lord of the Rings” and “Wonder Woman.” The service currently hosts 1,300 movies.

HBO Max’s catalogue features a selection of classic films from Turner Classic Movies and a set of anime series from the subscription service Cruncryroll, including “Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood” and “Kill La Kill.”

For additional streaming coverage, be sure to read our guides for the best streaming services and the best streaming sticks and devices.

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