Warner Bros. Discovery, the company that owns Discovery+ and HBO Max among other holdings, has decided to merge Discovery+ with HBO Max. The new platform will reportedly be called just “Max” and ditch the HBO prefix. The multi-billion dollar deal made headlines when Discovery+ bought HBO Max last year.
Now, the new platform will stream all the existing content along with some shows and movies from the HBO Max database along with some Discovery+ content. The main reason behind this merger is to provide users with a single platform where they can watch anything they like including age-appropriate children-friendly content. You can view the revamped Max on their site starting this month.
Make sure to use a decent internet connection like CenturyLink internet to stream new shows. Watching a movie or TV show should be effortless and lag-free, just like it is on CenturyLink. Once your internet is sorted, you can start binging your shows and movies. Here is what this merger means for users.
HBO Max is no more
By now, you know that HBO Max is no more. That doesn’t mean it’s disappearing off the face of the earth, but you’ll see “Max” from now. One of the main reasons for this merger is to attract a wider audience, so everyone in the family can watch something with a single subscription. Ditching the HBO prefix is also part of this move, as some people think HBO comes across as a TV channel that’s more oriented to older audiences.
Current HBO Max subscribers need not worry, as the rebranding will not affect their personal accounts. All of the watch history, playlists, profile, and playback settings will stay unchanged. New subscribers will directly be subscribed to Max from now.
Pricing and plans
Max is going to have three subscription tiers, which are as follows. There’s also the option to choose a budget-friendly plan with ads, similar to what you get on Netflix. If you want to get rid of ads, you’ll have to pay the premium, but you also get to enjoy offline downloads and streaming in up to 4K quality. Here is the breakdown of Max’s plans. There’s no price change for existing HBO Max customers, and their subscriptions will continue.
Max Ad-Lite: Starting at $9.99 a month, or $99.99 if you get an annual subscription, this plan has ads and lets you stream on two devices simultaneously. While you can’t download any files offline, you can stream content in up to 1080p quality with 5.1 surround sound.
Max Ad-Free: If you want no ads spoiling your watching experience, you need to get the Max Ad-Free which starts at $15.99 a month or $149.99 if you get the annual subscription. You can stream on two devices in up to 1080p, and you get 30 offline downloads each month.
Max Ultimate Ad-Free: This is the most expensive plan on the list with prices starting from $19.99 a month or $199.99 if billed annually. This plan lets you stream on four devices simultaneously with 100 offline downloads. Moreover, you can stream content in 4K with Dolby Atmos sound.
What’s new
David Laslav, the CEO of Warner Brothers Discovery, said during the launch presentation of Max that it’s not just a name change. This merger also entails better playback and greater accessibility controls for the users. Users will get to experience better playback and smoother navigation on every device. Moreover, Max goes beyond its predecessor by providing each user of a plan with a customized viewing experience based on individual preferences.
In addition, 4K ultra-HD content will also be available to the Ultimate Ad-Free tier. The children’s experience has also been revamped and setting up a child’s profile is easier than ever now. Max is also expanding its library for children and will offer more titles in the future.
The rollout
The rollout has already started with HBO Max subscribers already getting upgraded to Max automatically via an over-the-air update. Those in select regions with no automatic updates can find the app of their respective app stores and manually upgrade to Max. According to the official launch presentation, the rollout will initially be limited to North America and Latin America.
The rest of the regions including select countries in Europe and Asia will get the update next year. Some of the contracts that were made before Disney acquired the 20th Century Fox will still be in effect and you can see those titles on Max as well.
Conclusion
We’re happy to note that this isn’t merely a name change, and users can expect more and better content at affordable prices from Max. Hopefully, the current and new subscribers will increase the competition. This will push other streaming platforms to put out better content and improve their service. We recommend you do your own research before committing to a plan on any platform.
Sources
https://whatsondisneyplus.com/warner-brothers-discovery-rebrands-hbo-max-to-max/
https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/hbo-max-vs-max-subscriptions-differences-explained
