HBO Max Becomes Max: What Happens to the AT&T Subscribers?
By Phillip Swann
The TV Answer Man –@tvanswerman
TV Answer Man, I have HBO Max through my AT&T account. Will I lose my current HBO Max plan when it becomes Max next month? — Carl, East Lansing, Michigan.
Carl, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) CEO David Zaslav announced this week that HBO Max will change its name to ‘Max’ on May 23, which will reflect the streamer’s new programming mix of both HBO and Discovery shows.
The name switch comes with a new pricing structure that has three plans instead of the current two:
* The 4K ‘Max Ultimate’ plan, which will also include simultaneous streaming on four devices and no ads, will cost $19.99 a month. Dolby Atmos audio is included on select titles.
* The $15.99 a month plan, which previously included 4K programming, will only deliver 1080p HD programming. No ads with this package. Two simultaneous streams. 5.1 Surround Sound.
* The $9.99 a month plan stays the same — no 4K but you get ads. 1080p video and two simultaneous streams. 5.1 Surround Sound.
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AT&T subscribers are now on the $15.99 a month plan and several have e-mailed me to ask whether they will lose some features such as 4K when HBO Max becomes Max. A few AT&T subs wondered if they would lose their entire HBO Max subscription on May 23.
However, Chris Willard, a WBD spokesperson, tells The TV Answer Man that all HBO Max subscribers will have access to their current plan features for a minimum of six months after Max’s launch on May 23. That includes the AT&T subscribers. That means you can continue to watch 4K in your $15.99 plan without upgrading until at least November 23.
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We don’t know how long AT&T will include the (HBO Max) Max subscription with select wireless plans. But for at least six months, no worries.
At some point, all Max subscribers will have to pay more for 4K than they did before because 4K programming will be moved to the new $19.99 a month Ultimate Max package.
Carl, hope that helps. Happy viewing and stay safe!
Have a question about new TV technologies? Send it to The TV Answer Man at swann@tvanswerman.com Please include your first name and hometown in your message.
— Phillip Swann
@tvanswerman
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What about those customers that have Discovery+?
They continue with Discovery +.
4k not working through ATT
I can confirm that AT&T customers do NOT get 6 months of 4k access. Ever since HBO changed to Max, I am no longer able to stream 4k content from Max. When it was HBO, 4k titles streamed in 4K. Now those same titles stream in 1080p.