Edit: It’s been just over a month since launch and, if I’m honest, I didn’t expect HBO Max to be my cup of tea beyond a handful of programmes.
My first impressions weren’t great. The ads felt excessive and too frequent, and some of the more appealing films weren’t included in my subscription. However, after spending more time with the service and exploring a mix of films and TV shows, my view has shifted. I’ve since upgraded to the ad-free Standard plan and will decide month by month whether it’s worth keeping. At least that way I can view the new release films.
As mentioned previously (below), I already pay for ad-skipping on Sky, and all Sky customers receive HBO Basic with ads. That seems fair on the surface, until you realise that NOW customers effectively get HBO access that mirrors their NOW subscription. So if they pay for Boost or ad-free, they also get ad-free or even 4K HBO. It feels a bit backwards.
The ad-free Standard tier does come into its own with downloads. I’ve saved a few films and a couple of series for holiday viewing, which is a real plus. Picture quality is excellent, and I’ve already worked through a handful of films. If the library continues to improve and the quality holds up, I can see myself eventually moving up to the 4K tier.
On the film side, I’ve watched a couple of newer releases, including Final Destination, and I’m also finding the comedy Rooster surprisingly watchable.
Original Article
After what feels like a very long wait, HBO Max has finally arrived in the UK, and anyone can now sign up and subscribe. As an eligible Sky customer, I get access to “HBO Max Basic with Ads” at no extra cost. There are also upgrade options available, including Standard, Premium, and a TNT Sports bundle if you want more from the service like ad free or 4K. From what I understand, eligible NOW customers can also access the “Basic with Ads” tier.
Getting set up was straightforward. I started from the Sky Stream home screen and chose the web-based sign-up route, which felt like the quickest option. Within about five minutes, I had an HBO Max account linked and ready to go with Sky.
While Sky customers now get access to a broader range of content and a new way to watch HBO shows, there are a few trade-offs. For example, you can’t skip ads on HBO shows through the app unless you upgrade to a Standard plan (for ad free). On the flip side, this is content we might otherwise have lost entirely on Sky, including major upcoming titles like the new Harry Potter series expected later this year. Ad-free plans start from £9.99, or you can pay the difference to upgrade from the included tier (if on Sky), although I’m not convinced I’ll be doing that just yet.
Looking at the current film/show line-up, there’s a lot to like. We enjoy a good medical drama, so The Pitt might be worth a try. Overall, I can see the appeal and understand why HBO Max is likely to be popular, even if I’ve never been a huge HBO viewer myself. One thing to note is that on the included free tier for Sky subscribers, some newer films (such as Superman) sit behind higher subscription levels. That said, shows like The White Lotus are available, which is a plus.
The app itself runs well on Sky Stream and loads quickly, although the ads did feel fairly frequent. It also raises an interesting question about the future of Discovery+, as some of that content now also appears within HBO Max.
A definite bonus is that, as a Sky customer, I can also log into HBO Max on my iPhone and watch on the go without any issues using the app.
It’s still early days, so I’ll give it a proper trial before making any final judgements. Expect an update very soon.
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