As HBO Max prepares to hit its one-year anniversary, we examine whether it’s still worth having in your streaming life.
Welcome to the latest in a series of articles examining how the different streamers are fighting for your money in 2021. We’ve already asked whether you should cancel Netflix in 2021, or ditch Amazon Prime Video, or end your Disney Plus subscription. Now, it’s the turn of HBO Max, which turns a year old on May 27, 2021. HBO Max is almost a year old. Launching mid-pandemic, this attempt to replace HBO’s existing streaming services broadened it beyond high-end premium cable shows and a big movie library, making it more of an all-round competitor to Netflix. The service has been supercharged by a few key decisions – like bringing new movies Wonder Woman 1984 and Godzilla Vs Kong to the service at a time when we’re all hungry for new blockbusters, or giving Zack Snyder the opportunity to finish his cut of Justice League. I’m fond of HBO Max as a streamer. I love high-end TV dramas, and HBO is still a great outlet for those. I also appreciate that I can watch crisp-looking episodes of Batman Beyond without digging out my fancy Blu-ray set, or that I can always find something to enjoy from its vast movie selection. The strategy of going big with new blockbusters seems to have been controversial in Hollywood’s creative industry, which is reliant on box office returns for a few reasons – but as a consumer, what’s not to like about watching Godzilla Vs Kong on a Friday night? We’ve missed the theatrical experience, but it’s been a terrific way to make this service stand out. For a service that costs a hefty $14.99 a month, that’s what you want, really – though as of June, you’ll be able to enjoy an ad-supported $9.99 tier, only without the benefit of all those 2021 blockbusters. While Netflix is dependent on making its own intellectual properties to get you excited, HBO Max has the advantage of being able to lean on more familiarity – it’s why it’s made such a big deal about Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, which has only just begun filming. It’s also why so many shows based on the DC universe are in the works, including a Green Lantern series and two spin-offs from upcoming movies The Batman and The Suicide Squad. $15 a month is still a big ask in 2021, though, even with its generous library. So: should you cancel your HBO Max subscription in 2021? Below, we’ll examine how the service is doing, then give you our answer. There’s no doubt that HBO Max has plenty of originals to enjoy. The HBO side of the service funnels in high-end, prestigious original shows with a high hit rate – most recently Mare of Easttown starring Kate Winslet, and The Nevers, a more divisive supernatural drama. Considering HBO’s previous streaming service HBO Now cost the same $14.99 per month, there’s an argument that the service is still worth it for these originals alone. As for HBO Max’s own originals, those seem to be filling the gaps in helping the service seem more Netflix-like – and broadening the appeal of the platform, particularly to women.
