topic Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment in TV

HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

JordanTA — Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:53:08 GMT

HBO Max launches in the UK on 26th March. As part of this update, some NOW Entertainment experiences are changing.

What's changing?

If you're an existing EE TV customer with a NOW Entertainment membership before 26th March 2026, HBO Max Basic with Ads will now be included at no extra cost, and the membership will be called NOW Entertainment & HBO Max.

The NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership will now be sold in the following EE TV packages: Entertainment, Big Entertainment & Full Works, as well as an add-on to any other package.

Check out our help page for further information.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

zulu17 — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:47:01 GMT

A little clarification please in the

The EE Help page refered to in the thread there is a section -

Answers to NOW Entertainment & HBO Max questions

there are various statements made as of 1st March .. italics are the answers on the web page , bold text is my highlighting

""You can just access the NOW app on your TV box or other device and your content will be there

...so that is consistent with you will get the same content being available via Now app.

then a further answer implies customer has to activate the HBO Max App via NOW -presumably if they would want to watch it on the HBO App as an alternative to the Now App,

"If you're a NOW Entertainment & HBO Max subscriber through EE, and wish to use the HBO Max app, you'll need to activate via NOW.

If you also have TNT Sports it's important when activating that you use the same email address so that you can access all content under one login."

then there is some confusion over two further answers regarding the number of streams/devices allowed for the Now App

"NOW Entertainment & HBO Max contains all of the content from HBO Max’s Basic with Ads tier, so the content is the same.

HBO content in the HBO Max app will be in full HD (1080p). The same content in the NOW app is also in full HD if you have NOW Boost. Without NOW Boost, it's in 720p.

The NOW app allows customers 3 concurrent streams, and can download eligible HBO content for offline viewing. Adding NOW Boost gives an extra concurrent stream.

The HBO Max app allows customers 2 concurrent streams, with no offline downloads."

whereas the next answer says.

Now "Boost will continue working as normal. Customers can keep enjoying their favourite Entertainment & HBO Max shows ad-free, with improved picture and sound quality, and the ability to watch on up to 2 devices at once."

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 15:58:12 GMT

@zulu17

If you're a NOW Entertainment & HBO Max subscriber through EE, and wish to use the HBO Max app, you'll need to activate via NOW.

The key part of that statement is "and wish to use". There is NO requirement to use it, but if you choose to, then you'll need to activate via Now. i.e. we won't be offering a chance to activate HBO Max via any EE web sites or apps for entertainment subscriptions.

I can understand the confusion regarding concurrent streams. Officially, Standard provides 1, Boost provides 2, and Ultra Boost (not available via EE) provides 3. In practice, because we don't currently offer Ultra Boost, the Boost add-on provides 3. So the first answer is the practical limit, and the second one is the official limit. I'll ask for it to be updated.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

critters911 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:06:11 GMT

I just spoke with Tech Support at EE and was told that EE is not offering HBO Max Entertainment right now, just the Sports programming.

Yet the messages above say Entertainment will be offered through the NOW app. So which is true?
I can't imagine that EE would be so short-sighted as to not air HBO Max Entertainment as it has the hottest TV drama, "The Pitt," which has won the Best Drama Emmy for the past two years. Plus there's a Judd Apatow documentary about Mel Brooks which HBO Max U.K. is airing.

If EE is indeed offering HBO Max Entertainment through the NOW app, how can we get it without ads?

It is SO difficult to get an answer about programming from anyone on the phone at EE. Please respond to this message. Thank you.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 17:11:42 GMT

EE won't be offering "HBO Max Entertainment" at launch.

Those with a "NOW Entertainment" package will move to "NOW Entertainment & HBO Max", which will include "HBO Max Basic with Ads". There won't be an option to upgrade to the ad-free option, or any other tier on HBO Max. As the content is ALSO available in the Now TV app though, a Now Boost subscription will provide the content without ads in the Now TV app.

At launch, there will be no reason for Entertainment subscribers to use the HBO Max app. The option will be available (on request from Now TV - not from EE), but it won't provide any benefit.

The subscription packages are expected to change later in the year, at which point more options will become available.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Richardr66 — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:15:42 GMT

If one does want to use the HBO Max app for entertainment [and I accept you say there is no benefit so this may be reasonably academic] wouldn't that be a different login, the NowTV one, as opposed to the ex-Discovery+ login for the sports tier?

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 18:24:07 GMT

If you have discovery+ for sport, then that login will automatically work for HBO Max.

If you have a Now TV subscription, then you'll be able to request a HBO Max login from Now TV.

If you provide the same email address in your request to Now TV that is already used for the sport login, then that account will have both. Or you can choose to use a different email address, and switch between them.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

hello8everyon — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:20:48 GMT

If I have an EE TV Full Works plan, will I be able to access HBO Max with a Premium Subscription as it includes 4K and UHD

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Tue, 10 Mar 2026 14:27:15 GMT

The Full Works plan only provides access to TNT Sports in 4K - you will have access to TNT Sports in 4K via HBO Max.

You won't have access to the rest of HBO Max by default, but you can request it from Now TV (after March 26th). It'll be the with-ads subscription for the entertainment content though, with no way to upgrade. There won't be any way to watch Now TV or HBO Max entertainment/movies content in 4K.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Weerab2024 — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:12:42 GMT

@DarrenDev I know you say that there would be no real benefit of switching to the HBO Max app instead of watching the HBO entertainment offering via the Now app from launch day tomorrow, but say I did (as my nose gets the better of me sometimes) and then the EE entertainment package offerings were changed ater this year.

Would using the HBO Max app instead potentially cause any issues at my end after a potential package change?

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 09:36:01 GMT

Using HBO Max won't have any impact on your future subscription options.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Stefan86 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:57:40 GMT

Hi terribly confused

Logging into the HBO max now it says I have two active subscriptions - TNT sports billed at £30.99 a month (due on the 8th May) then further down TNT sports monthly which is billed through EE. So which is it and reading that the way I am why am I billed twice for the same thing?

Also why am I not getting HBO max content when I am on the full works package? How do I activate because it says to contact EE to manage subscription

Thanks for the help

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 11:00:54 GMT

@Stefan86 I'll need to get back to you on the double-subscription issue - this isn't something I have any access to, so I'll need to ask a colleague when they come online.

Regarding the HBO Max content - it's recommended that you continue to watch it in the Now TV app. If you really do want to use the HBO Max app for it, then you can request that it's added to your HBO Max profile by contacting Now TV

[outdated instructions removed]

updated instructions here: https://community.ee.co.uk/t5/TV/HBO-Max-launch-and-what-this-means-for-EE-TV-customers-with-NOW/m-p/1609048/highlight/true#M16302

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Matomo — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:29:53 GMT

And surprise surprise I can’t log into the HBO Max app.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Stefan86 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:32:14 GMT

Thanks

My old discovery plus login (the retained one for HBO.max app) has a different email to the Now TV one. Is this likely to cause an issue?

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:33:32 GMT

@Matomo Your login to the HBO Max app uses the same username and password as the discovery+ app. If you're unsure what that is, you can request a password reset.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 08:35:27 GMT

@Stefan86 if you choose to contact Now TV to request access to HBO Max then you can tell them the email address you already use for TNT Sports. They can then add the subscription to that, so that it's all on one account. You don't need to use the same email address as your Now TV account.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Weerab2024 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:10:30 GMT

I know it's not EEs fault that the Now TV app does not make it easy to find the HBO content in one place and can be frustrating already, but as sky are trying to make their own content still prominent I can understand their business case for that.

The sooner any potential EE changes come into affect the better in my opinion.

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

Stefan86 — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:15:20 GMT

This isn't true, they've just told me the following on live chat

Mod: image removed as it contains personal information

Re: HBO Max launch and what this means for EE TV customers with NOW Entertainment

DarrenDev — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:16:01 GMT

I've raised this for urgent investigation @Stefan86

Can I ask you to please email me at eetvsupport@ee.co.uk so that we can discuss your issues further.