YouTube TV and HBO Max are teaming up to brave the streaming service wars together.
HBO Max, the new streaming service from AT&T’s WarnerMedia, will be available as an add-on for YouTube TV subscribers when it launches in May. This is the first distribution deal for HBO Max and it expands a previous agreement that allowed YouTube TV to carry WarnerMedia’s channels — TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network.
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Now, YouTube TV will offer HBO and Cinemax in its lineup for the first time, as well as HBO Max’s library and originals.
When HBO Max debuts, it will feature 10,000 hours of content from WarnerMedia’s vast library — including exclusive access to Friends and The Big Bang Theory. The platform will also house current and past HBO and Cinemax series like Game of Thrones, Westworld, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, Barry, Succession and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver. Original programming in development range from a Gossip Girl sequel to a Green Lantern series to a reimagined Boondocks.
YouTube TV, which launched in 2017 and has more than 2 million subscribers, offers live TV and DVR capability across more than 70 channels (including ESPN and local broadcast networks) for $49.99 per month. Customers can also add premium packages to their plan, which is likely how it will work with HBO Max. The companies did not disclose how much the HBO add-on will cost.
HBO Max, on its own, will cost $14.99 a month — twice as much as Disney Plus and more than Netflix’s standard plan ($12.99). The distribution deal indicates that WarnerMedia is trying to get HBO Max in front of as many eyeballs as possible, through different platforms, not just its standalone service.
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