HBO Max Review 2020
What is HBO Max? We’re so glad you asked.
It’s a brand new streaming platform with 10,000 hours of content that launched May 27 (*and the crowd goes wild*).
HBO Max is a combination of HBO, WarnerMedia shows and movies, as well as new original content. Everyone in the family will have something to watch with its vast selection of kids, drama, action, and fantasy shows and movies.
You get all this for $15 per month! But read on to see if this is your next subscription.
Pros
- Lots of highly anticipated content
- Can get HBO NOW and HBO Max together for one price
Cons
- Not a standalone service
- Not available on Roku and Fire TV devices
What is HBO Max?
It’s a unique streaming service with old, new, and original content.
HBO GO, HBO NOW, and HBO Max are all different. You won’t get HBO Max with your standard HBO service, but you will with an HBO NOW subscription (more on that in the pricing section).
HBO NOW has practically been reverted to HBO Max. And you’ll also get lots of excellent WarnerMedia shows and movies, a selection of other acquired series and films, and new original content. Woah.
HBO Max includes the following TV shows:
- Friends
- Watchmen
- Barry
- Euphoria
- Entourage
- Game of Thrones
- West World
- The Big Bang Theory
- Sex and the City
- Pretty Little Liars
- Rick and Morty
- The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
- Looney Tunes
- Sesame Street
- Doctor Who
- South Park
HBO Max includes the following movies:
- Aquaman
- A Star is Born
- Joker
- Casablanca
- Lord of the Rings
- Wonder Woman
- Crazy Rich Asians
- How Harry Met Sally
- Detective Pikachu
- I Know This Much is True
- The Outsider
- The Sopranos
HBO Max includes the following new originals:
- Adventure Time: Distant Lands
- Close Enough
- Doom Patrol
- Expecting Amy
- Looney Tunes Cartoons
- The Not Too Late Show with Elmo
How much does HBO Max cost?
It’s less than the price of an Uber Eats meal.
HBO Max is well worth the price if you ask us. There is so much new, original, and exclusive content that there’s no chance you and your family will get bored.
Keep in mind, it doesn’t count if you’re subscribed to HBO NOW through a third party, but it will count if you’re subscribed to standard HBO through AT&T TV. And speaking of AT&T TV, if you sign up today, you’ll get HBO Max for free for one year!
So, $15 for both HBO Max and HBO NOW content? Yes. Yes, please.
| Plan | Monthly price | Details |
| HBO Max | $14.99/mo. | Free Trial |
*Data effective 5/28/2020. Price and channel inclusion vary according to location.
Does HBO Max have a contract or fees?
No contract or fees at all. You can cancel whenever you’d like.
What other original content will HBO Max have?
Lots of highly anticipated TV shows and movies, both new and original
HBO Max originally received a lot of attention when the Friends reunion was announced to be released on HBO Max when it launched in May. But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, production has been set back a couple of months.
But HBO Max is still on track with releasing other new and original content in 2020 and 2021.
HBO Max’s shows include the following:
- The Outsider: A 10-episode dark mystery series based on the Stephen King book.
- Lovecraft Country: A horror series executively produced by Jordan Peele.
- Sesame Street: Five new 35-episode seasons as well as episodes from the past 50 years.
- I Know This Much is True: A family drama series with Mark Ruffalo playing twin brothers, one of whom has schizophrenia.
- Mecha Builders: A spin-off of Sesame Street.
HBO Max’s original shows include the following:
- Wahl Street: An eight-episode Mark Wahlberg documentary.
- Tokyo Vice: A series based on an American journalist’s first-hand experience of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police.
- The Flight Attendant: A thriller series starring Kaley Cuoco.
- Love Life: A 10-episode rom-com starring Anna Kendrick.
- Gossip Girl: A reboot of the series with a new generation of New York private school teens.
Which devices are compatible with HBO Max?
You’re going to want to watch The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air on your road trip, or your kids are going to need to be entertained with Looney Tunes while you’re grocery shopping.
It’s no question we need our streaming services on the go.
HBO Max is available on most of the popular devices, besides Roku and Fire TV. HBO’s website also doesn’t list more than one smart TV and two game consoles to stream HBO Max on. HBO better change that soon.
But HBO Max is available for the following devices:
- iPhone, iPad
- Android smartphones and tablets
- Apple TV (4th gen. and later)
- Chromebooks
- Chromecast
- Mac and PC browsers
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Samsung TV (2016+)
We should also mention that HBO Max suggests you have at least a 3 Mbps internet connection while using the app.
Recap: Is HBO Max worth it?
HBO NOW and HBO Max combined into one streaming platform for $15 per month? Heck yes
Like we said above: subscribe to HBO Max and you’ll get everything this new streaming platform has to offer, as well as all of HBO NOW’s content. That’s $15 for two streaming services. So, get it.
For a refresher, here’s what you get with your HBO Max subscription:
- The entire HBO service
- WarnerMedia shows and movies
- A selection of other acquired series and films like The Big Bang Theory, Friends, and Joker
- New original content like Wahl Street, The Flight Attendant, and The Not So Late Show with Elmo
You might have found the next streaming service for you and your family. But if you haven’t, check out our full reviews on Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Prime.
What do you think?
Are you going to get HBO Max or do you already have it? Or do you believe your current streaming service subscriptions are better? Drop us a comment below!