When HBO Max launches on March 26, NOW Entertainment subscribers are getting something nobody expected – Warner Bros. films included in the app, at no extra cost.
HBO Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, is finally launching in the UK later this month. NOW Entertainment subscribers are getting it bundled into their existing membership – but until today, the assumption was that this would cover TV shows only, with films remaining the territory of the separate NOW Cinema membership.
We can now reveal that NOW Entertainment & HBO Max members will have access to a selection of Warner Bros. films directly within the NOW app, as part of their existing membership.
This covers the same back catalogue films included in HBO Max’s own Basic with Ads tier – older releases and classic titles from the Warner Bros. library.
To be clear about what “a selection” means: these are Warner Bros. back catalogue titles, not the newest theatrical releases. The most recent blockbusters will only be available on HBO Max’s Standard with Ads tier or above when subscribing directly, or through NOW Cinema for NOW subscribers.
But the broader Warner Bros. film library? That’s now included with NOW Entertainment & HBO Max.
What Do You Get With HBO Max?
HBO Max is Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, launching in the UK on March 26. It brings together HBO’s complete prestige drama back catalogue – Game of Thrones, Succession, The Sopranos, The Wire – alongside newer productions like the Emmy-winning The Pitt, Warner Bros. films, and TNT Sports, all in one app.
Direct subscriptions are available at four tiers:
- Basic with Ads – £4.99/month: Two devices, Full HD (1080p). HBO shows and Warner Bros. back catalogue films included, but not the newest theatrical releases. No offline downloads.
- Standard with Ads – £5.99/month: Two devices, Full HD, 30 downloads. Adds those newest theatrical releases.
- Standard – £9.99/month: Same as above but ad-free.
- Premium – £14.99/month: Four devices, 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, 100 downloads, ad-free.
TNT Sports is available as a separate add-on at £30.99/month.
Pre-registration (to install the app) is open now on the App Store and Google Play ahead of the March 26 launch.
Most Sky TV customers – on Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Sky Q with Sky Ultimate TV – are getting HBO Max Basic with Ads bundled into their existing subscription at no extra cost, with a full standalone HBO Max account included. We covered the full Sky and NOW picture in detail here.
NOW Entertainment subscribers are getting HBO Max too – but the implementation works differently.
What NOW Subscribers Are Getting From HBO Max
From March 26, all existing NOW Entertainment members will automatically be upgraded to NOW Entertainment & HBO Max at no extra cost – so the change is seamless.
HBO Max shows AND Warner Bros. films will simply appear in the NOW app alongside Sky’s existing content – yes, even if you’re not subscribed to NOW Cinema.
Sky confirmed this to us directly – and it’s a meaningful change from what was previously understood about the NOW implementation.
However, remember that the HBO Max content inside the NOW app streams in 720p without a Boost upgrade. That’s lower than the Full HD 1080p you’d get subscribing directly to HBO Max at £4.99/month.
Adding Boost (£6/month) brings everything up to Full HD and removes on-demand adverts, while Ultra Boost (£9/month) gets you 4K and Dolby Atmos. Without any Boost, you’re also limited to one simultaneous stream.
Also, there’s another option that many people won’t be aware of – and it’s worth knowing about.
The Standalone HBO Max App Option
NOW subscribers aren’t limited to watching HBO Max content through the NOW app.
As we revealed earlier this week, “NOW Entertainment & HBO Max” members (including EE TV customers with a NOW Entertainment membership) – will be able to activate a fully standalone HBO Max account, giving them direct access to the HBO Max app.
What does that mean in practice? Rather than watching HBO Max content through NOW’s interface, you’d have your own HBO Max account – one you can use on any device that supports the HBO Max app, logging in with your own credentials, just as you would if you’d subscribed directly.
To activate it, you’ll need to contact NOW via live chat, after which you’ll receive a unique activation link. It’s not automatic, and it takes a bit of effort – but for many people it’ll be worth it.
The standalone HBO Max app streams in Full HD 1080p as standard, with no Boost required, and gives you two simultaneous streams on the Basic with Ads tier.
The Warner Bros. back catalogue films are included here too – the same selection that’s now confirmed to be in the NOW app as well.
The main trade-offs: you can’t upgrade your HBO Max plan within the app if you’re accessing it through a NOW subscription, and your watchlist and continue watching lists won’t sync between the NOW app and the HBO Max app.
But for anyone who doesn’t want to pay for Boost just to get a decent picture on HBO content, the standalone app is a very useful option.
The same applies to Prime Video Channels subscribers – they’ll also be able to activate a standalone HBO Max account and use the HBO Max app directly, on top of watching through Prime Video as normal.
The NOW Deals Right Now – And Where Cinema Fits In
NOW has been aggressively cutting its prices in the run-up to the HBO Max launch. We covered the latest NOW deals in detail here – but here’s a quick summary of what’s currently available.
Entertainment Saver – £2.99/month: Sky’s TV channels plus HBO Max (including Warner Bros. back catalogue films) from March 26. 12-month minimum term, then £9.99/month. No Boost included, so you’re at 720p with ads on demand and one stream at a time.
Boost (£6/month) and Ultra Boost (£9/month) can be added to the deal, with a free one-month trial for new Boost subscribers.
Now, about NOW Cinema. There’s currently a deal running where you can get Cinema on its own for £6.99/month on a 12-month term – but here’s the thing: you can also currently get both Entertainment & HBO Max and Cinema together for the same £6.99/month.
So taking Cinema without Entertainment makes very little sense (unless you already have an active Entertainment membership, and just want to add Cinema).
But the more interesting question is whether NOW Cinema makes much sense at all for most subscribers anymore.
Yes, it covers the newest Warner Bros. theatrical releases – the ones not included in the Entertainment & HBO Max membership. But beyond that, the Cinema library has been getting thinner as studios increasingly pull their best content towards their own platforms.
Paramount’s biggest films are usually on Paramount+. Disney’s catalogue belongs to Disney+. And the Warner Bros. back catalogue – historically one of Cinema’s bigger draws on NOW – is now included in the Entertainment membership anyway.
For casual film watchers who already want the Entertainment membership, £6.99/month for both is reasonable enough. But if your main reason for considering NOW Cinema was the Warner Bros. library, that reason has just quietly disappeared.
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I subscribe to Now TV with entertainment, cinema and with Ultra Boost, if I get the HBOX max activation through Now can I watch ad free and in 4K in the HBO Max App because I have ultra boost?
No. Boost only affects HBO Max’s content on the NOW app (so you’ll have access to the HBO Max app, but only with the ‘Basic with Ads’ tier)
I decided to get this deal just for my bedroom as I have Virgin Media in my living room and just freeview in the bedroom. I was quite surprised at how many linear channels are included now with the package the last time I had subscribed the entertainment channels only included the regular channels but now also includes all the children’s channels as well as Sky Sports news and now with HBO max being added overall the value is great at least for that first year.