Q. I just subscribed to HBO Max but I just read that you can’t watch it on Roku. I have Roku so am I unable to watch any HBO on Roku? Or is it just HBO Max I can’t watch? Sorry, but this thing confuses me and now I wish I didn’t subscribe. — Stacey, Fairfax, Virginia.
Stacey, I feel your pain. The launch of HBO Max has been one of the most confusing spectacles I’ve ever seen. Some people are having difficulty understanding the difference between HBO (or HBO Go and HBO Now) and HBO Max while others are confused why it’s not available on the nation’s two leading streaming devices, Roku and Amazon’s Fire TV.
The shame here is that HBO Max offers an impressive lineup, perhaps better than any other streaming service. For $14.99 a month, you get the regular HBO lineup plus a large array of non-HBO fare such as Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Doctor Who, Turner Classic Movies and Adult Swim. (Pictured above: Evan Rachel Wood from HBO’s Westworld.)
If only AT&T could make it simple to find, and watch, it might have a real winner.
As for your question, Stacey, if you subscribe to HBO Max, you won’t be able to watch it on Roku. But you can input your HBO Max user name and password in the HBO Now app on the streaming device. This gives you access to the regular HBO lineup, but not the added HBO Max programming such as Friends.
Will Roku (and Fire TV) ever carry HBO Max? You can see this article for more information.
Hope that helps. Happy viewing, and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvpredictions.com. Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
