The final season of Game of Thrones is no longer coming — it's here. (See what we did there?) Movies are still a thing. More original series are on the way.
The point is, we're in that time of year in which having an HBO subscription is a good thing. And there are a number of streaming services that let you include HBO as an add-on, so you can keep everything in one place.
Or, if you prefer, you can rock HBO as a standalone service. It's totally your call. In any event, you'll usually pay the same thing no matter where you use HBO — $14.99 a month, after a free trial. (Discounts on HBO are pretty scarce.)
Here are the streaming services that can include HBO as an add-on:
Hulu
Whether you're only using Hulu's on-demand library, or you're knee-deep in Hulu With Live TV, HBO is right there for the taking. It integrates nicely with Hulu's menus (love 'em or hate 'em), and you're able to watch HBO's on-demand catalog, too.
The only questions is what's first?
Amazon Prime Video Channels
Amazon Prime Video Channels is a hidden gem. In addition to all the free video you get as being a member of Amazon Prime, you also have access to Prime Video Channels — a premium subscription service that includes a huge world of content, including HBO.
Why go about things this way? If you're an Amazon Fire TV user, it's almost a no-brainer, putting HBO front and center with the rest of your Amazon Video content. Same price, great user experience.
DirecTV Now
DirecTV Now has one of the deepest lineups in all of streaming. Its parent company — Warner Media — also happens to own HBO so it should be little surprise that you'll find deep integration.
Subscribe to the add-on and HBO will appear right there in your channel listings, in alphabetical order, just as the gods intended.
And because it's DirecTV Now, you're able to watch on nearly any device you've got. (So long as it's not Android TV, because apparently that's still a thing.)
PlayStation Vue
Station Vue is very much still a thing, and it's very much still a great way to watch HBO. Just like with the other streaming services, you'll subscribe as an add-on to your PSVue account. Channels will appear inline with PlayStation Vue's channel guide, and you'll be able to search through the on-demand library as well.
Through Roku
If you've got a Roku box or use a Roku TV, you can sign up for HBO directly through the Roku user interface. Just fire up the HBO Now channel , and you're on your way.
Why do this instead of going through one of the other services above? No real reason other than that's how you'd prefer to do it. And choice, as we like to say, is always a good thing.
Through HBO directly
If you don't use a streaming service, you can still get an HBO subscription through HBO Now. It's a standalone service that pretty much has the same content as other HBO subscriptions. And it also should work on the same devices.
Why do things this way? If you just want to keep things separate for some reason, or if you don't subscribe to any other services, this is the route to go. The money's the same — it's just the method that's different.
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Should I use HBO Go or HBO Now?
Updated March 2019: Removed Sling TV as an option for HBO.
