Is HBO Max Worth It? HBO Max Review 2022

Intro: Is HBO Max Worth It?

There’s been a lot of buzz about HBO Max recently. Some of it is good, and some it not so much. In 2022, is HBO Max worth it?

This updated HBO Max review will answer that question. We’ll cover the plans, pricing, shows and movies, discounts available, and the HBO Max app. Plus, we’ll address that elephant in the room: the upcoming merger with Discovery+ and all those cancelled shows. 

Please note that HBO Max is available in various countries across the world, but the information in this article applies specifically to the U.S. version.

Contents

• The Basics
• Cancelled Shows & Discovery+ Merger
• What's on HBO Max?
• HBO Max App
• HBO Max Discounts
• Final Verdict: Is HBO Max Worth It?

The Basics- Cost, Plans, & What's Included

The Plans	With Ads: Limited ads on certain shows Ad-free: No ads, offline downloads, 4K
The Price	$9.99/mo or $99.99/yr (With Ads Plan) $14.99/mo or $149.99/yr (Ad-free Plan)
Free trial?	No
Availability	USA, Mexico, certain countries in Latin America, the Caribbean, and Europe See full list here.

HBO Max is the streaming service from WarnerMedia, which is now part of Warner Bros Discovery. You’ll find thousands of great movies and shows, including originals, from HBO and beyond (hence the “max” part).

They offer two plans for subscribers:

• HBO Max With Ads: This plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Certain shows and movies will display ads before, and during, the content you watch. Ads are limited to no more than four minutes per hour and customers have reported that HBO Max has a less intrusive ad experience than their competitors. 
• HBO Max Ad-free: This plan costs $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year. Everything is free from advertising. You also have the option to download shows and movies for offline viewing, as well as stream video in 4K resolution. 

Both plans feature promotional trailers that start before your movie or show begins playing. You can skip past these by choosing the “Skip” button in the lower part of the screen. Ads, on the other hand, can’t be skipped. 

You can sign up for HBO Max on its own, or as a premium add-on to other streaming services including Hulu, YouTube TV, and DIRECTV Stream.

• Deal alert! Until October 30th, 2022, HBO Max is offering a 40% discount on annual plans. HBO Max With Ads is $69.99 and HBO Max Ad-free is $104.99. Get more details here.

Cancelled Shows and Merger with Discovery+

Before we go any further, it’s important to address some things first. HBO Max is a streaming service that is in a state of transition. By the time you read this article, some things may have changed.

That's because earlier this year, WarnerMedia (HBO Max’s parent company) merged together with Discovery, Inc., the company behind Discovery+. Their new, consolidated company is called Warner Bros Discovery or WBD.

The new CEO of WBD, David Zaslav, has said they plan to launch a new streaming service in 2023 that combines content from HBO Max and Discovery+ in one place. 

Ahead of this launch, the company is cutting costs as it combines their operations together. Many shows have been cancelled and a number of HBO Max Originals (including both shows and movies) have been removed from the streaming service. 

For a full list of shows that have been removed or cancelled since the merger go here.

What other changes will happen? Time will tell.

What's on HBO Max?

Warner Bros Discovery has access to an iconic lineup of characters and franchises that rivals only Disney. You’ll see content from DC Comics, Looney Tunes, Cartoon Network, Harry Potter, The Matrix, Scooby Doo, and Game of Thrones, among others.

They have filled HBO Max’s library with content from these franchises, as well as beloved TV and movies throughout Hollywood history.

As Netflix has shifted away from acquired programming and moved toward a service that is mostly Netflix Originals, the impressive back catalog on HBO Max stands out even more. 

Here are some of the highlights you’ll find on HBO Max.

HBO Content

HBO Max lets you stream (almost) everything from HBO even if there are a few titles that haven’t stayed on the service like Mrs. Fletcher or Vinyl. 

Despite that, the biggest shows you’d expect to see from HBO are front and center. 

They include:

HBO Max Originals

The Max Originals have seen some of the biggest cuts after the Warner Bros Discovery merger. Rumors abound that more are on their way.

If you want to watch these shows, we’d recommend doing it soon.

They include:

DC Comics

Just like Disney owns the rights to Marvel, Warner Bros Discovery owns the rights to DC Comics.

For fans of superheroes such as Batman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, or Superman, there is a ton of great content here. 

It includes:

Iconic Films and TV

HBO Max is one of the best streaming services for movie lovers. If it’s recent blockbusters you’re after, Warner Bros puts almost all of their theatrical releases on HBO Max (although not on the same day like they did in 2021).

For classic films from every era, TCM has a curated selection of movies on HBO Max. 

And there’s several big TV shows HBO Max has the exclusive streaming rights for. 

These movies and TV shows include:

Kids and Family Content

HBO might not be the brand you think of when you think about kids and family content. HBO Max, however, includes plenty of shows and movies for children.

Some of this includes programs from Sesame Workshop (which HBO gained the streaming rights to from PBS), Looney Tunes, Hanna-Barbera characters including Scooby-Doo!, and Cartoon Network.

These shows and movies include:

The HBO Max App

Simultaneous Streams	3
Profiles	5 per account
Offline Downloads?	Yes (Ad-free plan only)
Video	Up to 4K (Select titles, Ad-free plan only)
Sound	5.1 surround & Dolby Atmos (Select titles, Ad-free plan)
Parental Controls?	Yes

As noted in our original HBO Max review, the HBO Max app was glitchy when it first rolled out in 2020. Thankfully, times have changed.

The company has released updates, including one for mobile devices in August 2022, that have improved the app’s performance to a significant degree. Now watching HBO Max is a simple, user-friendly experience free of technical errors.

Notable features of the app include a shuffle button for certain TV shows that plays an episode at random. Meanwhile, Apple users can watch HBO Max with their friends on a FaceTime call with a feature called SharePlay (although it’s only available for users on the Ad-free plan).

Navigation through the app is more interesting and visual than competing streaming services. Large, poster-sized artwork promotes movies and shows. 

There’s some fun ideas explored with content discovery. Last October, for example, choosing one of three doors (labeled “Not Scary at All,” “Scary,” and “Very Scary” like in the “It” movies) led you to a different horror movie or show each day of the month.

HBO Max Discounts

HBO Max offers discounts from time-to-time. When they’re available, we update the “Deals” page. 

There’s also a few discounts and offers that are available year-round. 

They are:

Annual Plan

Subscribers that plan to stay for the long haul can choose to get an annual plan. This reduces the average monthly cost. 

As noted earlier, the HBO Max with Ads plan is $9.99 per month while the annual plan is $99.99 per year.The HBO Max Ad-free plan is $14.99 per month or $149.99 per year.

For a limited time, you can save over 40% with an annual plan (through October 30th). HBO Max with Ads is just $69.99 for a year and HBO Max Ad-free is $104.99 for a year. Get more details here.

Colleges and Universities

HBO Max might not offer a student discount the way other streaming services do. Certain colleges and universities, however, offer HBO Max for free as a discount to their students. 

Some of these schools include: Arcadia University, Fairfield University, Marymount University, Missouri State University, New York University, and the University of Southern California. Check out the full list here.

AT&T

Before the merger with Discovery, Inc., WarnerMedia was owned by AT&T. Even though the companies are no longer connected, AT&T continues to offer free HBO Max memberships to its customers (get details here).

Current Wireless customers can get HBO Max included with certain Unlimited plans. AT&T removed this option for new customers, but as of August 2022, plans to bring it back.

Final Verdict: Is HBO Max Worth it?

When HBO Max first launched, there was a bit of a rocky start. Shows that were set to debut with the service had to be pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The app was glitchy and (at the time) more expensive than their competitors.

Since then, HBO Max improved their lineup of shows and movies, they released updates that fixed technical errors, and introduced a cheaper plan as their competitors (like Netflix and Prime Video) raised their prices.

In theory, HBO Max should be entering a Golden Age when it surpasses Netflix as America’s most beloved streaming service. But the looming changes as a result of the Discovery+ merger raise questions about what's ahead.

HBO Max is an amazing platform for movies and TV that's well worth the price of admission. Now let's hope their parent company doesn't try to fix what isn't broken.

https://youtu.be/fVNKgjFfWUw