HBO Max — Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service for HBO originals, Warner Bros. films, and live sports, starting at $10.99/month with ads or $18.49/month ad-free on Standard.
By Noahlast updated pricing verified
HBO Max screenshots & video
HBO Max in 20 seconds
Best for: households that want HBO's prestige original dramas alongside live NHL, MLB, and NCAA March Madness sports coverage in one subscription
Pricing: From $10.99/month with ads (Basic); ad-free Standard is $18.49/month; 4K Premium is $22.99/month; no permanently free tier.
- HBO Max Basic with Ads costs $10.99/month or $109.99/year.
- HBO Max Standard (ad-free) costs $18.49/month or $184.99/year.
- HBO Max Premium (4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos) costs $22.99/month or $229.99/year.
- The Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle starts at $19.99/month with ads or $32.99/month ad-free.
- HBO Max holds a live sports catalog including NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness, U.S. Soccer, NASCAR, and cycling.
Limitations: No permanently free tier.; 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos require the top Premium plan at $22.99/month.; Ad-free viewing starts at $18.49/month, pricier than ad-supported tiers from major competitors.; No native macOS or Linux desktop app.
Top alternatives: Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Peacock — full list
What is HBO Max?
HBO Max is a video streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery, built around two content pillars: HBO's original scripted series (House of the Dragon, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Curb Your Enthusiasm) and the broader Warner Bros. film and TV catalog, plus live sports rights (NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness, U.S. Soccer, NASCAR, and cycling). It is sold in three direct tiers differentiated mainly by ads and video quality, Basic with Ads, Standard, and Premium (which adds 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos), plus a Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle for households that want broader content coverage at a combined discount. Offline downloads are available on select plans for mobile viewing. HBO Max does not offer a permanently free tier; every plan is a paid subscription, with limited-time prepay-annual offers occasionally lowering the effective monthly rate.
HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service, combining HBO's prestige originals (House of the Dragon, The Sopranos) with the wider Warner Bros. film library, live sports (NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness, U.S. Soccer, NASCAR, cycling), and general entertainment for households that want both premium drama and live sports in one subscription. Basic with Ads costs $10.99/month or $109.99/year; Standard costs $18.49/month or $184.99/year with no ads and higher video quality; Premium costs $22.99/month or $229.99/year and adds 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos. A Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle starts at $19.99/month with ads or $32.99/month ad-free, and limited-time annual prepay offers have dropped the effective monthly rate as low as $6.58. HBO Max competes with Netflix and Disney+ on general content breadth but differentiates specifically on HBO's original drama library and live sports rights.
Standout feature: Live sports rights (NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness, U.S. Soccer, NASCAR, cycling) are bundled into the same subscription as HBO's scripted originals, a combination most streaming competitors don't offer.
Biggest weakness: No permanently free tier, and 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos is locked behind the top Premium plan at $22.99/month; the cheapest ad-free option (Standard) costs $18.49/month, well above ad-supported tiers from competitors like Netflix.
Pros
- Combines HBO's original drama library with Warner Bros. films and live sports (NHL, MLB, NCAA March Madness) in one subscription.
- Offline downloads are available on select plans for mobile viewing without a connection.
- Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max bundle offers broader content coverage at a discount versus subscribing to all three separately.
- Limited-time annual prepay offers have dropped the effective monthly cost as low as $6.58.
Cons
- No permanently free tier; every plan is a paid subscription from day one.
- 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos are locked behind the top Premium tier at $22.99/month.
- Ad-free viewing starts at $18.49/month (Standard), notably pricier than ad-supported tiers from Netflix or Disney+.
- No native macOS or Linux desktop app; streaming on a computer runs through the browser rather than a dedicated app.
HBO Max pricing
From $10.99/mo · verified from the vendor's pricing page
| Plan | Price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Basic with Ads | $10.99/mo | $109.99 if billed annually; includes advertising during playback; lowest-cost direct tier. |
| Standard | $18.49/mo | $184.99 if billed annually; no ads, higher video quality than Basic, offline downloads on select devices. |
| Premium | $22.99/mo | $229.99 if billed annually; adds 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos on top of Standard. |
| Disney+/Hulu/HBO Max Bundle | $19.99/mo | With ads; ad-free version of the same bundle costs $32.99/month. Combines all three services' catalogs under one subscription. |
What reviewers say
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