With a week to go before the full-scale launch of its HBO Max streaming service, WarnerMedia said it has secured a handful of deals with several cable operators and telcos.
HBO Max is scheduled to launch on May 27 with about 10,000 hours of content and is priced at $14.99 per month. On Tuesday, WarnerMedia said it has secured carriage deals for the service with Altice USA, Cox Communications, Verizon Communications and the National Cable Television Cooperative, a buying group that represents about 750 small cable companies. In addition, WarnerMedia said the service also will be available to gaming consoles from Microsoft (XBox) and Sony Interactive Entertainment (PlayStation) as well as smart TVs from Samsung. Earlier, HBO Max reached carriage deals with Apple, Charter Communications, Google, Hulu and YouTube TV.
“The launch of HBO Max is an important milestone for our company, and we’re excited that these valued partners will be on board for the launch,” WarnerMedia Distribution president Rich Warren said in a press release. “Through our expansive distribution pipeline, millions of customers will have immediate access to a best-in-class streaming experience come May 27.”
Existing HBO and HBO Now subscribers will receive access to HBO Max at no additional cost. According to WarnerMedia, HBO will continue to exist as its own brand and linear TV service, but the HBO Max content will live within either the app through mobile, tablets, Apple TV, Android TV, Xbox, PlayStation or Samsung TVs, or via desktop at HBOMax.com. Existing HBO and HBO Now subscribers who get their service through partners with HBO Max will be able to authenticate into it using their login credentials.
HBO Max will be made available at launch to independent cable and broadband operators – such as WOW!, Atlantic Broadband, RCN, Grande Communications, Wave, and MCTV, among others – through the NCTC agreement. Existing HBO customers of the participating NCTC member companies will be given access to HBO Max at launch at no extra cost and new customers will be able to purchase HBO Max directly through their cable or broadband provider.
