Andrew Heinzman
Last year, WarnerMedia announced that existing HBO Now customers would gain access to HBO Max for free. Now, WarnerMedia is expanding the deal to include people who subscribe to HBO through Apple. People who subscribe to HBO through other services, like Amazon Prime or Verizon, are not eligible for this deal.
For anyone who needs a refresher, HBO Max is WarnerMedia’s answer to Disney+. It’s a streaming service that contains most of WarnerMedia’s properties, from Game of Thrones to Loony Tunes. The service will also host some non-WarnerMedia titles, like the full Studio Ghibli library, when it launches for $15 a month on May 27th.
People who subscribe to HBO through their cable company will not gain free access to HBO Max. And just to be crystal clear, HBO GO is not the same thing as HBO Now. The HBO GO service comes with HBO cable subscriptions, while HBO Now is a standalone streaming service.
It’s worth mentioning that some AT&T and DIRECTV customers will have free access to HBO Max when it launches on May 27th. Here are the AT&T and DIRECTV plans that come with HBO Max, according to AT&T’s website:
- DIRECTV PREMIER
- DIRECTV LO MAXIMO
- U0Verse U400 and U450 TV
- AT&T TV NOW Max
- AT&T Unlimited Elite Wireless Plan
AT&T TV and AT&T U-Verse TV customers are also eligible for up to one free year of HBO Max. But for whatever reason, the AT&T corporation doesn’t mention this deal on its HBO Max landing page, and doesn’t clarify exactly how long it will extend its offer to AT&T TV and U-Verse TV customers.
Customers who gain access to HBO Max through their HBO Now or HBO Apple subscription will continue to pay their $15 monthly service fee. They will have access to both the HBO Now and HBO Max services, which may offer different selections of shows and movies (WarnerMedia hasn’t announced the full HBO Max library).
Source: AT&T via Deadline
