What is Max? Pricing, content, and more about the HBO Max replacement

HBO Max has become Max. Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery officially announced the move in April 2023. With the rebranding, the streaming service also got a bunch of new content from Discovery Plus as well as new prices. But what is Max? The new service combines new and old elements, including original programming.

What does this mean for HBO Max subscribers? How does the new service differ from what you’re used to? How much does it cost? What can you watch on it? We have answers to these questions and more below.

You can sign up for Max by hitting the link below.

What is Max?

Max is the new streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery. It replaces HBO Max and incorporates some content from Discovery Plus to stand alone as a more robust subscription service.

Effectively just a rebranded HBO Max, the service offers on-demand access to a vast library of TV shows and movies. This includes Max originals, titles from the Warner Bros. archive, HBO, Discovery, CNN, the CW, licensed TV shows and movies, and more.

Is Max the same as HBO Max?

While Max is mostly a repackaged version of HBO Max, there are a few differences. The library is a bit bigger, incorporating Discovery Plus content. HBO Max originals have now become Max originals, with new Max originals rolling out too.

HBO Max has been retired and replaced by Max, so the two do not exist at the same time.

What has happened to HBO Max?

All existing HBO Max subscribers can automatically get onto the new platform. As of May, the HBO Max app either automatically updates to Max or prompts you to download the Max app. Either way, if you had an HBO Max subscription, you are now a Max member at no extra cost.

If you get HBO as part of your cable or satellite TV package, you may get Max access at no additional cost. You can find out if your TV provider supports Max.

If you aren’t an HBO Max subscriber, you can now sign-up for the new service.

What is happening to Discovery Plus?

While much Discovery Plus content is available on Max, the more niche streamer will continue to exist independently as well for the time being.

How much does Max cost?

Unlike HBO Max, the rebranded service has three pricing tiers. The cost of the “ad-free” and “with-ads” plans remains as it was with HBO Max. However, there’s a third top-tier plan that offers 4K UHD streaming on more devices at a time and allows a higher number of offline downloads.

This is the biggest change for HBO Max subscribers of the ad-free plan, who have to up their subscription if they want to watch 4K content.

Here’s how the three new Max plans stack up:

With Ads: $9.99/month or $99.99/year
Stream in Full HD on two devices at once

Ad-Free: $15.99/month or $149.99/year
Stream in Full HD on two devices at once, with up to 30 offline downloads

Ultimate Ad-Free: $19.99/month or $199.99/year
Stream in 4K UHD on 4 devices at once, with up to 100 offline downloads

Max is available on phones, tablets, computers, TVs, streaming players, set-top boxes, and game consoles, just like HBO Max.

Is the new service worth it?

It’s impossible to review Max so early, but the service seems to be a continuation of HBO Max in every way.

The prices are comparable, though you’ll have to shell out a bit more for 4K streaming. Considering the extra content you get with Discovery titles being added, that’s not a bad trade-off. Assuming a user experience similar to HBO Max, this is definitely going to be a contender in the streaming wars.

What to watch on Max

Max compiles all the programming from HBO Max as well as favorites from Discovery. The large library of streaming shows and movies spans genres like true crime, reality, food, comedy, and more.

You can access all HBO series and movies, Max originals, and select series and movies from Warner Bros., the DC Universe, Cartoon Network, the Turner Library, Looney Tunes, Adult Swim, and more. You also get unscripted and documentary shows from TV brands like HGTV, the Food Network, TLC, ID, Magnolia, Discovery, and more.

According to Variety, the company has said it will add over 40 new titles to the streaming service every month.

Some of Max’s high-profile programming includes a live-action Harry Potter series, based on the popular children’s novels, along with a series set in the Conjuring universe, a Rick and Morty anime series, a new comedy in the Big Bang Theory universe, a new Fixer Upper offshoot from the Magnolia Network, and plenty more.

That’s in addition to existing HBO and HBO Max projects like a new Game of Thrones prequel, a Penguin series with Colin Farrell reprising his role from The Batman, the Jodie Foster-starring True Detective: Night Country, Park Chan-wook’s The Sympathizer, and many more.

Some existing HBO Max shows you can watch as Max originals include the following:

• The Flight Attendant
• The Sex Lives of College Girls
• Hacks
• Doom Patrol
• The Other Two
• Peacemaker
• Our Flag Means Death
• Station Eleven

Max also carries over HBO Max original movies. Some highlights include the following:

• Kimi
• Zack Snyder’s Justice League
• An American Pickle
• Locked Down
• The Fallout

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