UPDATE: After this story was published, Warner Bros. and Comcast announced that they had come to an agreement to bring HBO Max to customers who subscribed to HBO through Xfinity.
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HBO Max debuted Wednesday, providing a new contender to the already bustling streaming market. Most existing HBO and HBO NOW subscribers got it for free -- but not all of them.
- Subscribe to HBO Max to watch “Friends,” Harry Potter movies and more
Due to failed negotiations among the companies involved, customers who have subscriptions to HBO through Comcast, Roku or Amazon TV did not receive HBO Max at launch Wednesday. However, that later changed after the two sides had come to an agreement.
However, this still remains true for HBO subscribers through Amazon and Roku. Those subscribers would have had to pay an additional $14.99 a month to get HBO Max.
For now, customers who already have HBO through those services would have to sign up and pay for a separate HBO Max account to gain access to the new content unique to that platform, such as episodes of “Friends" or the Harry Potter movies.
On the other hand, a number of providers have come to an agreement with Warner Bros. to give HBO Max to existing subscribers. Customers signed up for HBO through Comcast, Apple TV Channels, AT&T TV, Cox, DIRECTV, Hulu, Optimum, Spectrum or Verizon Fios got HBO Max as a free upgrade starting Wednesday. (Check out the HBO Max website for the full list of providers.)
Confused? You’re not the only one. The debut of HBO Max has not been the clearest launch of the current wave of streaming platforms.
HBO Max is different from HBO. It is an independent streaming platform that comes from its parent company, Warner Bros. It dropped Wednesday and carries a larger library of streaming content over its predecessors HBO GO (the streaming service that comes with an HBO subscription) and HBO NOW (HBO’s streaming-only package).
How to get HBO Max - The streaming service is available as a separate subscription package viewable through apps on WiFi and mobile devices. However, customers who already get HBO Max may get the service at launch.
What other shows are on HBO Max? - TV shows available on HBO Max include “Looney Tunes," “The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo,” “Rick and Morty,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” “The Bachelor” and “The Big Bang Theory.”