Roku And HBO Max Finally Consummate Their Relationship

WarnerMedia and Roku have finally reached a deal for HBO Max, bringing the subscription streaming outlet to Roku’s 46 million active accounts and filling a key distribution gap ahead of a string of Warner Bros film releases.

Along with Amazon Fire TV, Roku has emerged as a gatekeeper of streaming, benefiting from a surge in overall streaming hours even before the prolonged shutdowns of Covid-19 in 2020. Shares in Roku have rocketed 135% in 2020. They rose 4% in after-hours trading today on news of the WarnerMedia deal.

Starting Thursday, Roku users will be able to download HBO Max and subscribe to it directly on Roku. (It has been possible up to this point to “cast” HBO Max from a mobile device to a TV screen using Apple AirPlay or other means, but doing so is cumbersome and sometimes glitchy.) For users who have already subscribed to HBO through their Roku devices, the HBO app will automatically update to become HBO Max, and they will be able to log in using their existing HBO credentials.

No longer will I have to screen mirror, plug an HDMI cord into my laptop, or use the plain old HBO app (and its fewer content choices). Six months after eagerly signing up for HBO Max, I'll be able to watch HBO Max on my Roku now that the two companies have finally come to an agreement. And, not so coincidentally, they agreed to terms just a week before WONDER WOMAN 1984 hits the streamer. As an early adapter to streaming who has OCD tendencies, this feels like I finally completed the set. Netflix. Prime. Hulu. Disney+. AppleTV+. And now HBO Max. 

As I wrote back in May, "I'd compare HBO Max most to Disney+ in that there's a lot of legacy stuff and there's not a huge emphasis on new material (at least so far)". But HBO Max's "legacy stuff" is much more sprawling than Disney's kid-centric fare. You have access to essentially every great HBO show in the last 30 years, the vast WB library, TCM selections, original material, and plenty of stuff to keep the rugrats entertained. Not to mention, HBO Max arguably has the cream of the crop when it comes to classic films and filmmakers (wanna start that long-delayed Akira Kurosawa education? Not many better places to start).

Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go find my sweet spot.