Our long national nightmare is over. No, not that one. What I’m saying is, you can finally watch HBO Max on Roku without resorting to a workaround.
Yesterday, Roku and HBO announced that they have reached an agreement to offer the streaming service to the former’s 46 million monthly active users. Coupled with the similarly long-in-coming pact between Amazon and HBO sealed last month, HBO Max is finally ready for launch day... six months later.
It’s not entirely clear what the holdup was, but it’s clearer why it’s happening now: Warner Bros. announced that its entire film slate for the next year will be debuting simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, starting with Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day. But you probably don’t care about the back-end deals as much as you want to know about how to, at long last, watch all the Studio Ghibli movies on your dang Roku.
If you’ve already been using the vanilla version of the HBO app (which Roku refers to as a “channel”), upgrading will be pretty seamless. Just like when HBO Now rebranded to regular old HBO earlier this year, your HBO channel will update automatically and be replaced with HBO Max. Your old login credentials will still work—eventually.
As of this writing, my own HBO app appears to be in the process of updating. I checked the “New & Notable” section of Roku’s Channel Store and did see HBO Max listed, but it showed as being already installed; when I opened it the first time, it was still regular HBO, but when I backed out and tried it again, it loaded as HBO Max—but the logo hadn’t updated on my home screen. If you’re having troubles, try deleting the HBO app and reinstalling it. [Update: Commenters have also suggesting that updating the software on your Roku will also do the trick.]
If you’re starting fresh, the process will be smoother; HBO Max is already available for download in the Roku Channel Store. Simply add it to your Roku device or smart TV and you’ll be good to go—provided your HBO subscription actually includes HBO Max. It probably does, but if you’ve signed up for HBO through a third party, figuring that out is still a little confusing. Basically, if you previously paid for HBO Now or access HBO through one of the larger cable or satellite services, you’re covered. If not, you might still have to wait.
This post was published on Dec. 17, 2020 and updated on Dec. 18, 2020 to add additional information about updating your HBO Max app.
Amazon managed to cram about a dozen product announcements into a 50-minute presentation Thursday, unveiling everything from new Alexa smart speakers,
Apple is extending free repair eligibility for several older MacBook models facing known screen issues.First, Apple has extended the 13-inch MacBook P
Managing your business’ presence on LinkedIn takes teamwork, but unless you really know and trust your colleagues, you probably aren’t comfortable sha
It’s hard keeping track of individual tweets. According to TechJury, the social media platform sees an average of 528,780 new tweets every minute, so
If you’ve updated to Chrome OS 91, there are a few hidden features you can turn on, including a new trash can folder and a more convenient interface f
Safari is a perfectly good browser in its own right, but its default settings can understandably frustrate those switching over from Chrome and Firefo
Most Spotify users are likely aware the streaming service tracks their listening activity, search history, playlists, and the songs they like or skip—
Can we, as a collective tech community, all agree that scams and malicious hacks are bad and we shouldn’t do them anymore? No? OK, back to reality, wh
We are a comprehensive and trusted information platform dedicated to delivering high-quality content across a wide range of topics, including society, technology, business, health, culture, and entertainment.
From breaking news to in-depth reports, we adhere to the principles of accuracy and diverse perspectives, helping readers find clarity and reliability in today’s fast-paced information landscape.
Our goal is to be a dependable source of knowledge for every reader—making information not only accessible but truly trustworthy. Looking ahead, we will continue to enhance our content and services, connecting the world and delivering value.
