Warner Bros. Discovery is reintroducing HBO to its streaming service, Max, by adding livestreaming of HBO’s cable channels. The rollout started on Wednesday and is initially available to a limited group of subscribers on the platform’s ad-free tiers.
Soon after Disney integrated an ESPN+ tile and Hulu programming into Disney+, and Paramount merged Showtime into Paramount+ comes the addition of HBO’s cable feeds, now called “Channels,” to the Max platform. This move further bridges the gap between HBO’s cable network and Max, where HBO series are already available for streaming. With this update, select users will now have the option to browse and watch HBO’s multiplex channels directly within the Max app.
Notably, the new Channels feature on Max allows users to watch live streams of HBO’s main channel, along with HBO Comedy, HBO 2, HBO Signature, and HBO Zone. Subscribers with access to Channels can also restart, rewind, and fast-forward the live feeds. On select devices, users can seamlessly switch between channels within the Max app for an enhanced viewing experience.
Additionally, by providing an HBO-specific program guide that lets users see live content at a glance, rather than navigating through multiple menu screens the Channels feature aims to address the common “what’s on” challenge in streaming. While HBO’s linear programming is already available on Max, the addition of live channels offers users an alternative way to discover and access content.