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HBO Max rolls out native support for Vizio SmartCast sets

(Graphic by The Desk)

For more than a year, television viewers with Vizio SmartCast sets and no other streaming device have been forced to “cast” movies and TV shows from HBO Max to their screens.

As of this week, that workaround is no longer necessary.

On Wednesday, Vizio and AT&T’s WarnerMedia announced HBO Max was rolling out as a native app for SmartCast-enabled television sets.

“The launch of HBO Max on Vizio SmartCast TVs is a terrific addition to the vast distribution of the platform, adding to our connected TV footprint and making it easier than ever for our customers to access HBO Max where and how they want,” Jennifer Mirgorod, an executive in charge of partnership management at WarnerMedia, said in a statement.

As part of the launch, an advertisement carousel at the top of Vizio’s SmartCast service will offer a handful of trailers from HBO Max shows, with a limited amount of episodes available to stream for free.

HBO Max costs $10 a month with advertisements or $15 a month without commercials.

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About the Author:

Matthew Keys

Matthew Keys covers the business of broadcast and streaming TV, radio broadcasting, social media, technology and telecommunications. A journalist for over 15 years, Matthew previously worked at Thomson Reuters, KGO-TV in San Francisco, KTXL in Sacramento and McNaughton Newspapers. He received 9 California Journalism Awards between 2018 and 2020, and is a member of IRE (Investigative Reporters and Editors).
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