As expected, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed its plans regarding the HBO Max streaming service. The company announced earlier today that the service will be relaunched on May 23 under a different name: Max.
According to Warner Bros. Discovery, Max is an enhanced version of the current streaming service, and will include a massive library HBO Originals, Warner Bros. movies, Max Originals, the DC universe, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, lots of kids-friendly content, as well as popular programming across food, home, reality, lifestyle, and documentaries from brands like HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC, ID, and more.
Once Max launches on May 23, three new pricing options will be available for customers, which seem to be tailored for just about every scenario. Here is how much you’ll have to pay if you want to join Max:
- Max Ad-Lite ($9.99/month or $99.99/year): 2 concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ad Free ($15.99/month or $149.99/year): 2 concurrent streams, 1080 resolution, 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality
- Max Ultimate Ad Free ($19.99/month or $199.99/year): 4 concurrent streams, up to 4K UHD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality
As far as existing HBO Max subscribers go, they will be given a minimum of a six-month grace period during which they will be able to continue to use their current plan. Eventually, they will have to switch to one of the newer Max plans, where they will find that their profiles, settings, watch history, “Continue Watching,” and “My List” items will be automatically migrated.
In related news, Max provided first looks at additional upcoming titles, including Max Originals The Penguin, HBO Original drama series The Sympathizer, HBO Original limited series True Detective: Night Country, HBO Original limited series The Regime, Max Original six-part docuseries SmartLess: On The Road, Max Original kids’ series Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and a first look at HGTV’s four-part Barbie Dreamhouse Challenge.
Max will only be launched in the United States on May 23, but Warner Bros. Discovery plans to expand the availability of the streaming service to other countries in 2024.