YouTube TV is giving its subscribers free access to HBO and Cinemax through the rest of the holiday weekend.
In an e-mail sent to customers on Wednesday, the Google-backed streaming TV company said customers will have the entire weekend to enjoy hit HBO and Cinemax original programs as part of their YouTube TV subscriptions.
The channels went live on YouTube TV’s phone, tablet and smart TV apps automatically — subscribers don’t need to sign up for a free trial, though viewers who have re-arranged their channel guides might have to manually add the networks.
Subscribers who have an active YouTube TV account and aren’t seeing the HBO and Cinemax channels in their guide should take the following steps:
- Open YouTube TV on a computer, phone or tablet.
- Click or tap the “Live” button.
- Click or tap “Sort,” then the Edit link near “Custom”
- Scroll all the way down until you see the HBO and Cinemax channels.
- Click the check box next to each channel. This would also be the time to move channels up or down based on your preference.
- Tap “Save” or the “X” button in the top-left corner.
Depending on the device, you might have to repeat steps 4 through 6 a few times before the channels pop up.
In addition to the channels, YouTube TV customers have free access to HBO Max through the end of Sunday. The app requires authentication with the primary YouTube TV account holder’s Google credentials to view.
At the end of the weekend, HBO Max and Cinemax will automatically disappear unless a subscriber decides to sign up for either service. HBO Max costs $15 a month through YouTube TV, while Cinemax costs $10 a month.
