HBO Max Review: 100 Years of Movie Hits and Groundbreaking TV
Streaming Smarter says: Everyone should try HBO Max at least once. It has tons of blockbuster movies and cinematic masterpieces. The library includes dozens of the greatest TV shows of all time. Throw in live sports and the option to save money with other streamers and HBO Max takes its place among the best services on the market.
$10.99/mo.+
HBO Max Pros and Cons
Pros
Cons
What Does HBO Max Cost?
You can subscribe to HBO Max alone, but smart streamers will bundle it for greater savings!
| Service | Monthly | Annual | Resolution | Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic With Ads | $10.99 | $109.99 (save 16%) | HD – 1080p | None |
| Standard | $18.49 | $184.99 (save 16%) | HD – 1080p | 30 |
| Premium | $22.99 | $229.99 (save 16%) | 4K (some titles) | 100 |
| Service | Price | Includes | Ads? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (With Ads) | $19.99 | Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max | Yes |
| Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (No Ads) | $32.99 | Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max | No |
$29.48/mo.$21.99/mo.
$28.48/mo.$22.99/mo.
Can You Watch HBO Max for Free?
HBO Max itself does not offer a free trial.
You may also be able to watch it with a free trial of live TV providers who offer it, like DIRECTV and Fubo.
Are There Any Deals or Discounts for HBO Max?
HBO Max occasionally offers discounts, though it doesn’t have any right now.
To save money, consider a bundle or an annual plan. If you pay for a year in advance, the price is 16% lower than paying monthly. Choose the Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle with ads and you’ll save nearly $15/month. If you choose that bundle without ads, you save nearly $24/month.
$34.97/mo.
$19.99/mo.
$29.48/mo.$21.99/mo.
$28.48/mo.$22.99/mo.
What Movies Does HBO Max Have?
The HBO Max movie library includes some of the most important movies over the last 100 years alongside modern blockbusters.
Crown jewels on HBO Max include “The Wizard of Oz,” The Lord of the Rings,” “The Dark Knight,” “Superman,” “Casablanca,” “Lawrence of Arabia,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Singin’ in the Rain,”
You’ll see hits like “Barbie,” “The Batman,” “Aquaman,” “Speed,” “The Martian,” “RoboCop,” “Joker,” and “Pretty Woman.”
HBO Max also has a deal with A24, so you’ll see trendsetters like “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Lady Bird,” “The Zone of Interest,” and “The Lighthouse.”
HBO Max wins points for masterpieces from Kubrick, Kurosawa, Chaplin, Lynch, Fellini, Bergman, Truffaut, and Miyazaki. It’s a treasure chest for cinephiles.
What TV Shows Does HBO Max Have?
HBO Max has an unbeatable TV lineup thanks to decades of HBO hits. You’ll also see shows from Discovery, Magnolia Network, Cartoon Network, TLC, Adult Swim, Investigation Discovery, and HGTV.
Dive into incredible shows like “Succession,” “The Sopranos,” “The Wire,” “The Penguin,” “Veep,” “The Leftovers,” “Watchmen,” “Deadwood,” “Game of Thrones,” “Barry,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “The West Wing,” “South Park,” “Friends,” “ER,” “Six Feet Under,” “Sex and the City,” “The Big Bang Theory,” and “Band of Brothers.” These shows only get better the more times you rewatch them.
Reality shows include “House Hunters,” “The Baldwins,” “90 Day Fiancé,” “Impractical Jokers,” and “Fixer Upper.”
What Kids Content Does HBO Max Have?
HBO Max has backed off children’s content for the most part. If you have kids at home, I recommend signing up for the bundle with Disney+.
Kids may enjoy cartoons like “Teen Titans Go!” “The Powerpuff Girls,” “Courage the Cowardly Dog,” “The Flintstones,” “The Jetsons,” and “Scooby-Doo, Where Are You?”
Family-friendly sitcoms include “Family Matters,” “Full House,” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
What Sports Does HBO Max Have?
Most of HBO Max’s sports are the same games that would appear on TNT, TBS, and truTV. So you’ll see nationally televised NHL, MLB, and NCAA March Madness games. HBO Max also has U.S. Soccer matches and Unrivaled women’s basketball.
Those sports are only available on the ad-free subscription.
Does HBO Max Have Originals?
HBO Max does offer original shows and movies, though most of its content appears on its affiliated linear channels as well. Original series include “The Pitt,” “Station Eleven,” “Peacemaker,” “And Just Like That…” (the “Sex and the City” sequel series), “Creature Commandos,” “Gremlins,” and “Conan O’Brien Must Go.”
Can You Download HBO Max Content?
Downloads are available on the ad-free plans. Download 30 titles with the Standard plan and 100 titles at a time with Premium.
What Devices Work with HBO Max?
- Roku
- Amazon Fire tablets
- Android phones and tablets
- Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch
- Amazon Fire TV
- Android TV
- Apple TV
- Cox Contour 2 and Contour Stream Player
- Hisense VIDAA TV
- LG Smart TV
- PlayStation 4 and 5
- Samsung TV
- Sharp TiVo TV
- Xbox One and Series X|S
- Xumo Stream Box
- Xumo TV (XClass TV)
- Xfinity X1 and Flex
Can You Add HBO Max as a Prime Video Channel?
Yes, Prime Video subscribers can add HBO Max. There’s even a bundle of HBO Max and STARZ for $21.99 or HBO Max and Cinemax for $22.99.
Is HBO Max Worth It?
Whether you love movies or TV, HBO Max features some of the most important titles ever created. Instead of waiting 8 years to watch “The Sopranos” as I did when it first aired, you can binge the entire series over a couple of weeks. You’ll feel spoiled for your first few months with HBO Max.
Once you’ve seen all the great shows and cherry-picked through the movie library, HBO Max will start to feel a little stale, however. Because HBO IS so careful about their projects, we only see a handful of new seasons each year. Fans of “The Last of Us” have to wait 2 years between seasons. “Euphoria” took 3 years between seasons and it’s unclear if a Season 3 will ever happen.
So I recommend joining HBO Max only when you’re excited by a new show. When the season ends, drop it. Max just doesn’t turn out enough high-quality content to remain subscribed for a full year.
I also wouldn’t sign up for HBO Max for reality TV or sports, those are nice to have.
$10.99/mo.+
