WarnerMedia today announced that HBO Max is finally coming to Amazon Fire TV on Nov. 17. The streaming service — which in additional to all the legacy HBO content we've come to know and love for decades — also is home to new exclusives and is the future of HBO for WarnerMedia.
“We are very excited that Amazon customers will now be able to enjoy the best-in-class content that lives within HBO Max,” Tony Goncalves, Head of Sales and Distribution for WarnerMedia, said in a press release. “Our continued goal is to make HBO Max and its unparalleled content available to customers across all the devices they love. Fire TV is a favorite among customers and we look forward to working with the Amazon team to engage and grow our existing subscriber base by showcasing all that HBO Max has to offer.”
Current subscribers to HBO Max via Amazon Prime Video Channels also will have access to HBO Max free of charge. In fact, the HBO app on current Fire TV devices and tablets will automatically update to become the HBO Max app.
The hold-up, of course, was money. WarnerMedia will make more money by being on Amazon Fire TV devices — which make up the second-largest hardware platform in the United States, and the largest in the rest of the world. (Roku is No. 1 in the U.S. and No. 2 in worldwide.) Amazon, for its part, wants a cut of that revenue. And the two sides were unable to come to a resolution when HBO Max launched in late May 2020.
HBO Max remains unavailable on Roku devices.
HBO Max costs $14.99 a month — same as the legacy HBO Now service. It also has all of the same content you'd find on the old streaming version of HBO Now. But HBO Max also includes new exclusive content across pretty much every genre, including Raised by Wolves, Love Life and Craftopia. HBO Max also is seeing its share of exclusive specials, including the recent A West Wing Special to Benefit When We All Vote, and this week's The Fresh Price of Bel-Air Reunion.
“We’ve worked closely with HBO for many years to bring their great content to Fire TV and to make it easier to discover and enjoy with features like search integration, Alexa and personalized recommendations,” Marc Whitten, Vice President of Amazon Entertainment Devices and Services, said in the press release. “We are excited to continue that partnership with the launch of HBO Max to bring even more incredible content to customers on Fire TV. Alexa, play Raised by Wolves.”
In addition to Amazon Fire TV devices, HBO Max also is available on Apple TV, Android TV, PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, and certain Samsung smart TVs. You also can watch HBO Max via Chromecast or AirPlay.
