HBO Max officially has a launch date.
WarnerMedia’s new service will join the streaming world on May 27, the company said on Tuesday.
At a price of $14.99 a month, HBO Max is a bit more expensive than its competitors. It costs twice as much as Disney+, which cost $6.99 per month and it’s more than Neflix’s standard plan, which costs $12.99 per month.
However, the service will launch with a deep library. HBO Max will offer 10,000 hours of content from WarnerMedia’s stable of brands including HBO and Warner Bros. films. It will also be the exclusive home of “Friends,” one of the most popular sitcoms in TV history.
The service will host children’s programming from Looney Tunes, Cartoon Network and “Sesame Street.” It will have beloved shows like “South Park,” “Rick and Morty,” “Pretty Little Liars” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” as well as other series from the company’s cable brands like TNT and TBS.
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Then there’s new series called “Max Originals,” which include a scripted comedy called “Love Life” starring Anna Kendrick and “The Not Too Late Show with Elmo” from Sesame Workshop.
The service is a big bet for AT&T and CNN’s parent company WarnerMedia, as tech and legacy media companies attempt to keep up with the changing tastes and viewing habits of consumers. AT&T said last year that it intends to spend about $2 billion on HBO Max in the next two years.
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The new service is arriving amid the coronavirus pandemic, which has forced millions to stay home. This have caused the demand for streaming to grow with Netflix’s stock surging and Disney+ crossing 50 million subscribers.
HBO Max could be the next service to get a boost from a stay-at-home audience starving for content.
“Our number one goal is having extraordinary content for everyone in the family, and the HBO Max programming mix we are so excited to unveil on May 27th will bear that out,” Robert Greenblatt, chairman of WarnerMedia entertainment and direct-to-consumer, said in a statement. “Even in the midst of this unprecedented pandemic, the all-star teams behind every aspect of HBO Max will deliver a platform and a robust slate of content that is varied, of the highest quality, and second to none.”
