Formerly known as HBO Max, Max is a leading TV streaming service that offers a premium viewing experience. The high-end streaming service has an impressive selection of quality movies, TV shows, originals, and even some live channels – but, it doesn't have the cheapest price tag.
Company Overview
Max was originally founded as HBO Max in 2020. When HBO Max first launched, it replaced both HBO Now, HBO's subscription video-on-demand service, and HBO Go, a streaming platform for HBO TV customers. In May 2023, Max dropped the “HBO” name and rebranded in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Pros
- Giant library of popular movies, TV shows, and premium content
- Beautiful user interface
- Has some live news and sports channels
- 4K HD streaming available with Ultimate tier
Cons
- Relatively expensive pricing
- Lowest tier has ads
- No offline downloads in ad-supported tier
Highlights
BBB rating: A-
Price: $9.99-$20.99/month
Year founded: 2020
Areas served: United States, Latin America, Caribbean
Contract Required: No
Number of Channels: 10+
Ad-Free: Optional
Now, you might be wondering: Is Max the same as HBO Max?
The answer is a bit more subtle than a simple “yes” or “no.” Today, Max is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Global Streaming & Interactive Entertainment (WBD) – a company formed by the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc. in April 2022. Previously, HBO Max was owned by WarnerMedia.
Following the merger of the two companies, WBD announced plans for HBO Max to merge with Discovery's flagship streaming service Discovery Plus, and began migrating some of the platform's content over. In the end, WBD decided to keep both Discovery+ and HBO Max (rebranded as Max.)
As part of the rebranding, the company did an overhaul of Max's user interface and added a variety of new content from Discovery and other channels, including Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, and Animal Planet. They also introduced live news through CNN and a live sports add-on.
Why We Like Max
When you think of HBO, you probably think of legendary TV shows like “Game of Thrones,” “The Sopranos”, “Sex and the City,” and “Succession.” While all of these are available to stream on the platform, Max has so much more to offer.
Since the rebranding, Max's library has more than doubled. There are over 35,000 hours of programming available to stream on the platform. The robust catalog features a wide selection of movies and TV shows from HBO, Warner Brothers, Discovery, and all of their brands. There's something for just about anyone – including children – and, most big, blockbuster movies hit Max around 45 days after their theatrical release.
All of its movies and TV shows are available to stream in HD quality. Max's Ultimate tier also unlocks stunning 4K Ultra-HD streaming for over 1,000 titles – including Dune, Avatar: The Way of Water, “House of the Dragon”, “Euphoria,” and all of the “Harry Potter” movies.
While most content is on-demand, Max has rolled out a live news feature through CNN. They also offer a sports add-on with over 300 live games and matches per year.
The biggest drawback to Max is its premium cost. It's more expensive than Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Disney Plus. And, you still have to watch ads with their lowest-tier plan.
But, at least in Max's case, you get what you pay for. For the cost, Max truly delivers a first-class viewing experience – especially with its redesigned interface. Not only is the new interface eye-catching, but Max improved upon the previous UI by adding more ways to personalize content and making navigation easier.
Max Streaming – How It Works
Max is a paid, premium subscription-based streaming platform. Customers can choose to pay monthly or yearly for access to the full library of content, but some features – like going ad-free and 4K streaming – are reserved for higher plan tiers.
Plans/Packages
Update: On June 4, 2024, Max announced an increase to all ad-free streaming plans. This article has been updated to reflect that pricing change.
Max offers 3 plans: With Ads, Ad-Free, and Ultimate Ad-Free.
| Plan/Packages | Monthly Price | Video Resolution | Simultaneous Streams | Offline Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| With Ads | $9.99 | Full HD | Up to 2 | No |
| Ad-Free | $16.99 | Full HD | Up to 2 | Up to 30 titles |
| Ultimate Ad-Free | $20.99 | 4K Ultra HD | Up to 4 | 100 titles |
| B/R Sports Add-on | $9.99 | – | – | – |
With Ads – $9.99/month
The lowest-tier Max plan has ads on all of its content. It includes full HD video resolution and you can stream on up to 2 devices at once. Notably, this plan does not have a way to download content for later offline viewing.
Ad-Free – $16.99/month
Customers can choose to go ad-free for $7 more per month. Just like with the bottom-tier plan, it supports simultaneous streams on up to 2 devices and full HD video resolution. You also can download up to 30 titles to watch on the go.
Ultimate Ad-Free – $20.99/month
Max's Ultimate Ad-Free plan upgrades streaming to 4K Ultra HD video resolution on over 1,000 titles. Where available, audio is also upgraded to Dolby Atmos. Customers can also stream on up to 4 devices at the same time and download 100 titles for offline watching.
Addons
Recently, Max introduced a live sports add-on featuring over 300 total live sports matches and events per year.
B/R Sports Add-on – $9.99/month
With the B/R (Bleacher Report) Sports add-on, Max customers can stream live sports games from the NBA, NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness, and U.S. Soccer.
It's important to note that live sports on Max is not ad-free. The sports add-on has the same commercials you would see when watching on cable TV.
Channels/Categories
Max has an expansive on-demand content library packed full of movies and TV shows that appeal to a broad audience. The marriage of HBO Max content with Discovery+ programming delivers an excellent blend of top-quality entertainment that spans numerous genres and all age groups. Combined with Warner Bros’ huge vault of both classic and modern films, it's hard to run out of things to watch.
HBO Originals
HBO originals are the backbone of Max's streaming services. Series include black comedies like “Barry”, “White Lotus”, and “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, fantasy drama “Game of Thrones” and its spinoff “House of the Dragon”, the dystopian “The Last of Us”, classic dramas like “The Sopranos” and “Succession”, romantic dramas like “Sex and the City” and its modern series “And Just Like That”, teen dramas like “Euphoria” and “True Blood”, and even superhero shows like “Watchmen.”
Comedy
No matter your taste in humor, Max has something for you. The streaming service is home to classic comedy series like “Friends” and “The Big Bang Theory”, Adult Swim favorites like “Rick and Morty”, hilarious reality TV shows like “Impractical Jokers,” animated cartoons like “South Park”, and even mockumentaries like “Abbott Elementary.”
Reality
Max includes lots of fan-favorite reality TV shows from Discovery+. You can watch hit reality shows like “90 Day Fiance” and “Naked and Afraid”, Food Network favorites like “Chopped”, “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and “Cupcake Wars”, and home improvement series like “Magnolia Table”, “Fixer Upper”, “Property Brothers”, and “House Hunters” – just to name a few.
Family
If you have kids, you'll appreciate the wide range of children's programming available on Max. There are both classic and modern cartoons, including “Adventure Time”, “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons”, “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Teen Titans”, and “Steven Universe.” You also get family-friendly sitcoms like “Young Sheldon” and nostalgic series like “Sesame Street.”
Movies
Max has a huge movie collection, ranging from the classic to the contemporary. Popular modern picks include Dune, The Matrix Resurrections, Joker, Blade Runner 2049, Barbie, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, Avatar: Way of Water, and Deadpool. Most big-name movies can be streamed on Max around 45 days after they are released in theaters.
But, it's not just new releases. You also get timeless Warner Bros. films like The Wizard of Oz, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Casablanca, and Gone with the Wind. Studio Ghibli favorites like Spirited Away and Ponyo are also available for streaming.
Live News
Recently, Max has added 24/7 live news with the addition of CNN Max. The service features popular CNN news programming like “The Lead with Jake Tapper” and “Anderson Cooper 360” as well as new live shows exclusive to Max.
How To Watch Max
To watch Max, you need a high-speed internet connection and a compatible streaming device. You can either watch through your internet browser on your computer, or download the Max app for Google, Apple, Roku, Amazon, Samsung TV, or Verizon + play to watch from your mobile phone, tablet, or smart TV.
Here is a complete list of devices that work with Max:
TVs
- Amazon Fire TV & Amazon Fire Tablet
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Contour & Contour Stream Player
- Chromecast
- LG Smart TV
- Roku
- Samsung TV
- VIZIO SmartCast TV
- Xfinity X1 & Flex
- Xumo TV
PC or Mac Computer (via browser)
- Chrome OS
- MacOS
- Windows PC
Game Consoles
- PS4
- PS5
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X|S
Mobile Phones & Tablets
- Amazon Fire Tablet
- Android Phone & Tablet
- iPhone & iPad
How To Sign Up for Max
There are a few ways to sign up for Max. Firstly, you can sign up directly on the Max website. Choose your plan, create an account, and enter a payment method. Then, you can check out and begin streaming right away from your browser or device.
Another way to sign up for Max is by downloading the app for Google, Apple, Roku, Amazon, Samsung TV, or Verizon + play. You can subscribe to the premium streaming service right from the app.
Max is also available to purchase through several TV and internet providers, including AT&T, Cox, Cricket, DirecTV, Dish Network, Hulu, Optimum, Amazon Prime Video, Spectrum, Verizon, Xfinity, and YouTube TV.
How To Cancel
The process for canceling Max depends on the way you signed up. The first step is to find out who bills you for your monthly subscription. You can view this information by signing in to the Subscription page on their website or by clicking ‘Subscription' on the mobile or smart TV app.
If you are billed through WarnerMedia, sign in to the Subscription page and click ‘Cancel Your Subscription', then confirm your cancellation. Your subscription will be canceled at the end of your billing cycle, and you can continue streaming until then.
If you are billed by a third party like Amazon, Roku, or a mobile app store, then you will need to cancel your Max subscription through them.
Customer Service Contact Info
Max has a dedicated Help Center on their website full of information and solutions to common issues you might experience with your service. If you need more help, you can click the ‘Contact Us' button in the bottom right-hand corner of this page to initiate the chatbot.
You can also call Max at their customer service phone number (855) 942-6669 or send an email to [email protected].
Is Max a Smart Choice for TV Streaming?
With its hefty library of premium films and TV shows, Max ranks among the best TV streaming services. It's a great choice for viewers who want superior entertainment on-demand and don't mind paying a few extra dollars for it.
However, if you are on a tight budget or looking for a true alternative to traditional TV services, you might want to look into other options. For instance, if you want lots of live channels, check out TV streaming services that offer a cable-like experience, such as DIRECTV STREAM.
Be sure to check out our other in-depth reviews of streaming platforms to discover the best choice for your budget and viewing preferences.
How can I watch Max?
You can watch Max on any compatible smart TV, mobile phone, tablet, or gaming console. You can also stream directly through your internet browser by logging in to the website.
Does Max have local channels?
No, Max does not offer local channels.
Is Max free?
No, Max is a paid subscription service, and there is no free trial period offered.
How much does Max cost?
Max costs $9.99 per month for their lowest-tier, ad-supported plan. The Ad-Free plan costs $16.99/month, and the Ultimate Ad-Free plan costs $20.99/month.
Does Max have commercials?
Max has ads on their lowest-tier plan, which costs $9.99/month. To get rid of commercials, you must upgrade to their $16.99/month Ad-Free plan or $20.99/month Ultimate Ad-Free plan.
What happened to HBO Max?
HBO Max was replaced by Max in May 2023. Max is the successor to HBO Max featuring an expanded library of content and UI redesign – all for the same monthly price.
