WarnerMedia has been going all out with their announcements for HBO Max. The amount of amazing content that’s being promised is unreal, but what about the specifics? Here’s all you need to know about HBO Max.
WarnerMedia unveiled that HBO Max will see a debut in May 2020 in the U.S. with a cost of $14.99 per month. For existing subscribers of HBO Now, they will get access to HBO Max for no additional fee. The subscription will be contesting Apple+ (Nov.1) as well Disney+. (Nov.12). All three of these subscriptions are looking to take the crown that Netflix has been carrying for a long while.
The pricing for HBO Max is somewhat higher than the other streaming services. Netflix has its standard package running at $12.99, and Hulu at only $5.99. Disney+ will be launching a price of $6.99 per month and Apple+ at only $4.99.
However, WarnerMedia already confirmed that HBO Max will be free of charge for one year to HBO subscribers who have any of AT&T’s TV services. In addition, other AT&T customers will also get pitched promotional discount prices, this is all done in the fashion of getting some early buzz going for the streaming service.
It’s also being promised that at launch HBO Max will have around 10,000 hours of premium content. That’s a crazy amount of content for launch, and something that has us very excited. The library includes the entire lineup of HBO’s programming as well as new original series’ which will be available only on HBO Max. This includes TV Shows and movies, and a lineup from WarnerMedia’s properties including Warner Bros., DC, CNN, TBS, TNT, Cartoon Network and New Line.
WarnerMedia also announced that all DC films in the past decade will be available by the end of the first year, including the entirety of the DC Extended Universe, as well as any other movies published by DC Comics. Furthermore, HBO Max will serve as the home to every Batman and Superman movies. HBO Max has also earned the exclusive streaming rights to ‘South Park’ for a deal over $500 million. All seasons of ‘Rick & Morty’ (including the new seasons coming soon). Two DC-related series’ being developed for HBO Max have also been announced, and another DC Comics series will be led by Elizabeth Banks.
In only the first year, there will be a number of 31 original content on HBO Max, with that number growing to 51 by 2021, this is in addition to the originals for Legacy HBO. It’s also been confirmed that HBO Max will be receiving the rights to the entire run of ‘Friends’, ‘Pretty Little Liars’, ‘Big Bang Theory’, among others. CW dramas produced directly by Warner Bros. will also be available on HBO Max.
HBO Max will have around 1,800 hours of movie content on release. The first year will see these films franchises included in the library: ‘The Matrix’, ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’. DC Entertainment’s recently released hit ‘Joker’ will also be made available at launch.
The streaming service will be released for the U.S. first, however, AT&T will expand HBO Max internationally. AT&T went ahead revealing that it expects to spend around $1.5 billion to $2 billion on the streaming service next year. They will continue to invest a sum of a billion dollars before hitting profitability in 2025.
