Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is offering streamers a first look at the forthcoming Max service, which is launching later this month and combines the content libraries of HBO Max and Discovery Plus into a single streaming product.
As first spotted by a Reddit user, the upcoming Max app looks a lot like the current HBO Max app (because it basically is, as The Desk reported back in March) — with the same user interface as HBO Max, but with more content and a different name.
Max is expected to debut on May 23, according to its listing on the Apple App Store. Right now, streamers with Apple iPhones, iPads or Apple TV can pre-order the Max app by clicking or tapping this link.
Max will offer three tiers of service: A $10 a month subscription gets users everything from the content libraries of HBO Max and Discovery Plus, supported with commercial breaks. The $16 a month tier unlocks two simultaneous streams, high-definition video, the ability to download content on multiple devices and removes ad interruptions from shows and movies. For the first time, the streaming service will also offer a $20 a month tier that was not previously available on HBO Max; that subscription plan unlocks ultra high-definition (UHD/4K) video streams, four simultaneous streams at once and allows users to download even more content to their devices.
In addition to Apple devices, Max is expected to debut on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV (Google TV) later this month, as well as most smart TVs that currently support the HBO Max app. At launch, Max will fully replace HBO Max; streamers with an HBO Max account will automatically have their plans converted to Max.
Streamers who simply want to watch knowledge and lifestyle content from Discovery will still have the option to subscribe to Discovery Plus separately, which costs $5 a month with ads or $8 a month for interruption-free viewing.
