Go Ahead – Cancel Max Now

Two months ago, I argued that TV lovers needed to subscribe to Max. Today, I recommend you pull the plug. Here’s why.

Vanishing Act

While April brought back three of Max’s best shows: “Hacks,” “The Last of Us,” and “The Rehearsal,” two of them just wrapped up their seasons and “Hacks” will finish May 29.

Max is also about to lose the NBA since the Eastern Conference Finals will wrap up no later than June 2. The NBA Finals will air on ABC and Max won’t carry the NBA in the future.

Out of Stock

June’s Max lineup is extremely weak. “The Gilded Age” season 3 arrives June 22. My kids dragged me to “A Minecraft Movie,” and I can tell you it’s one of the dumbest films of the past 25 years. That arrives on Max sometime in June. “The Day the Earth Blew Up: A Looney Tunes Movie” earned just $15 million at the box office. The two other new films arriving on Max have no name recognition: “Parthenope” and “Cleaner.”

Looking ahead, it’s going to be bleak for Max for a while. “House of the Dragon” and “Euphoria” won’t be back until 2026. “It: Welcome to Derry” will arrive later this year. The new Harry Potter series won’t debut until 2026.

If you loved any of the three shows that had new seasons in April, it could be two years before you see their next installments.

Why You Might Want to Keep Max

Hockey fans should keep Max for another month: It’s home to the 2025 Stanley Cup Final. Game #1 is June 7 and Game #7 is June 23 if necessary.

U.S. Men’s and Women’s soccer have some key matchups on Max in June.

There’s also the issue of Max’s greatest strength: its remarkable library.

Subscribing to Max means you have access to some of the best movies ever made, from “The Wizard of Oz” to “The Lord of the Rings,” “The Matrix,” “GoodFellas,” “Inception,” “The Shining,” “Ghostbusters,” “Casablanca,” “Stand by Me,” “The Silence of the Lambs,” “Taxi Driver,” “Singin’ in the Rain,” and “2001: A Space Odyssey.”

The TV library has most of the best shows in history: “The Sopranos,” “Deadwood,” “Game of Thrones,” “Chernobyl,” “Succession,” “Six Feet Under,” “Band of Brothers,” “The Wire,” “Silicon Valley,” “Big Little Lies,” “Friends,” “The West Wing,” “The Leftovers,” “The Pitt,” “True Detective,” and “Veep.”

What Should You Choose Instead of Max?

First, consider how much TV you’ll watch over the summer. If your social calendar is full, it’s totally fine to go with a slimmer streaming setup for a few months.

If you want some modern prestige TV, check out Apple TV+. This relative newcomer has fantastic shows like “Severance,” “Ted Lasso,” “The Studio,” “Silo,” “Slow Horses,” “Your Friends & Neighbors,” “The Morning Show,” “Shrinking,” and “For All Mankind.” Apple TV+ reminds me of what HBO used to be.

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is always worth a look. Gear up for the next “Mission: Impossible” film by watching the earlier films on Paramount+ and enjoy more Tom Cruise with “Top Gun: Maverick,” “Collateral,” and “Minority Report.” Enjoy sci-fi hits like “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” “Star Trek,” “Arrival,” “Face/Off,” “A Quiet Place,” “The Mist,” and “World War Z.” If you liked “The Rehearsal,” be sure to check out Nathan Fielder’s other shows: “The Curse” and “Nathan For You.”