As of Tuesday May 23, HBO Max has officially made it’s switch to Max. So what does this mean for new and current subscribers? Not much really, just a change in design and much more additional content is available to stream. Your original login information and viewing history should remain the same, and there should be no extra subscription fees without an initiated plan upgrade. Merging the Warner Bros-Discovery+ content with previous HBO series and movies means that users will now have certain access to programs such as HGTV, TLC, The Food Network, and more, combined with the already existing media library available from the original HBO Max brand.
What’s Different?
With a new solid blue color scheme, the now outdated nostalgic purple is a thing of the past with a new layout design that is seemingly identical to the old HBO Max platform, the new Max just including more personalized categories for engagement. One thing that may become frustrating to certain users is that in order to access the new service you must download the new Max platform by attempting to open the old HBO Max app. Once this happens you will be automatically directed to the download page where you will then have to re-enter your information to sign in and access the content once again. For individuals like me who are lazy and just want a one click sign-in to this new service, the download and login might be slightly aggravating and leave some people moving over to other streaming services rather than taking the time to sign in. However I would encourage taking the extra steps as the additional content placed in Max makes up for the small time delay it may take to access it.
What’s the Same?
All of the original HBO Max content, viewing history, profiles, and subscription history/payments you have will remain intact and untouched. Discovery+ will also still exist as a stand alone service you can subscribe to at a cheaper cost, with just their content and library available to stream, starting at 4.99$ a month. For Max, subscription upgrades are available with the starting subscription plan of:
Max With Ads Monthly- (9.99$)
Max Ad-Free Monthly- (15.99$)
Max Ultimate Ad-Free Monthly- (19.99$)
Max With Ads Yearly- (99.99$)
Max Ad-Free Yearly- (149.99$)
Max Ultimate Ad-Free Yearly- (199.99$)
What to Look Forward to.
New content. According to Variety, “SmartLess: On the Road,” “How to Create a Sex Scandal,” “What Am I Eating? With Zooey Deschanel,” “Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai,” “Clone High” and sorority documentary “Bama Rush” — plus the streaming premiere of DC movie “Shazam! Fury of the Gods” (Variety, 2023), are all available to stream on the new Max platform. For Harry Potter fans, you can of course stream all 8 of the original movies on the new Max service, with the confirmed reboot from the brand already announced and in development. With that said, as fans wait for this new series to arrive on Max, there will be plenty of new movies and series readily available to stream on this new service that dropped May 23, transforming the beloved HBO Max into the modern version we now know as, Max.