Max replaces HBO Max on May 23, and here’s what you need to know

Warner Bros. just announced that it will be consolidating its HBO Max and Discovery Plus streaming services into a single channel dubbed simply Max. The new service combines all existing programming currently available on HBO Max and Discovery Plus, including The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Deadliest Catch, and Succession.

Max will also be the home of new programming like Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai, and A Knight of Seven Kingdoms: The Hedge Knight in addition to in-development projects based on The Big Bang Theory, Harry Potter, and The Conjuring properties.

Discovery Plus and its programming will continue to be available as a lower-priced, standalone service. However, if you currently subscribe to HBO Max, here’s what you need to know.

• Max launches in the United States on May 23, and it’ll launch in Latin America later this year. Select countries in Europe and Asia will get Max in 2024.
• Existing HBO Max subscribers will have access to Max at the same price as their HBO Max subscription and can visit help.hbomax.com/introducingMax to find out more.
• HBO Max subscribers will still have access to their current plan features for a minimum of six months following the launch.
• The HBO Max app will automatically update, or subscribers will be prompted to download the new Max app starting on May 23.
• Existing profiles, settings, watch history, “Continue Watching,” and “My List” items will also migrate to Max.
• Max will be available on all the same devices as HBO Max.

Max streaming tiers and info

• Max Ad-Lite | $9.99/month or $99.99/year

2 concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, no offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality

• Max Ad Free | $15.99/month or $149.99/year

2 concurrent streams, 1080p resolution, 30 offline downloads, 5.1 surround sound quality

• Max Ultimate Ad Free | $19.99/month or $199.99/year

4 concurrent streams, up to 4K UHD resolution, 100 offline downloads, Dolby Atmos sound quality

The current features offered by the HBO Max ad-free annual plan are comparable to the Max Ultimate plan, but that plan costs roughly $50 less; you’re just restricted to 30 offline downloads. If you’re looking to lock in a lower rate for your annual plan while keeping the same streaming quality, you might want to think about subscribing to an HBO Max annual plan now.