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

[JordanTA]

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.

[zulu17]

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."

[DarrenDev]

@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.

[critters911]

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.

[DarrenDev]

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.

[Richardr66]

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?

[DarrenDev]

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.

[hello8everyon]

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

[DarrenDev]

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.

[Weerab2024]

@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?