HBO Max Doesn’t Offer a Free Trial — We Found a Workaround
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Streaming services have continued to drop or reduce free trials over the last few years as they tighten their belts on deals and hike prices. One streaming service that hasn't offered a free trial in years is HBO Max (formerly Max; formerly also HBO Max).
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It's a shame because HBO Max has arguably the best selection of TV series. New hits like Lanterns , Heated Rivalry , The Pitt , White Lotus , and Hacks , as well as classics like Mad Men, The Sopranos , Curb Your Enthusiasm , and Game of Thrones , are only available through HBO Max (unless you want to spend a fortune buying individual episodes on Amazon). The streaming service also offers livestreams of many sports events, including MLB and NHL games.
However, if you want to watch any of these shows or live sports, you'll need to pay for HBO Max's relatively pricey monthly subscription. HBO Max plans start at $10.99 a month, which is more than Netflix, Paramount+, or Peacock. HBO Max also has strict account-sharing rules, making it very difficult to split a subscription between different households. Plus, HBO Max also does not offer a free trial.
How to Get an HBO Max Free Trial
HBO Max might not offer a free trial directly, but there is a way to watch HBO Max for free for a limited time. DirecTV , which has now all but fully transformed into a (very good) live TV streaming service, offers a complimentary HBO Max subscription in two of its packages — and both of them start with a five-day free trial. See below for more details on how to use DirecTV to get an HBO Max free trial:
Get HBO Max free trial with DirecTV
DirecTV offers complimentary access to HBO Max in its MyEntertainment and Premier packages. Both of these start with a five-day free trial. The MyEntertainment plan also delivers access to Disney+ and Hulu at no additional cost, and it carries 55+ live TV channels. After the free trial, the MyEntertainment package costs $42.99 a month. The Premier plan is DirecTV's largest package, boasting over 185 channels, ESPN, Hulu, Disney+, STARZ, and Paramount+, as well as HBO Max. Premier is currently priced at $169.99 a month, but you get $40 off your first month and $20 off months 2-24, so in reality it's much cheaper.
Get HBO Max Free Trial With Prime Video
You can also get a free trial to HBO Max through Prime Video , Amazon's on-demand streaming service. Amazon Prime members can log into their account and then navigate to the Prime Channels hub to select the HBO Max landing page . From there, they can sign up for a seven-day free trial to the streamer with no strings attached. Once your week-long free trial is up, plans continue from $10.99/month or you can cancel without being charged.
This free trial offer is only open to Amazon Prime members. Not a Prime member? Get a 30-day trial to test drive the service with all its perks and benefits here .
How Much Is HBO Max?
If you don't want to take advantage of the DirecTV HBO Max free trial hack, here's a breakdown of HBO Max tiers and their prices:
Basic with Ads: $10.99/month or $109.99/yearThe cheapest plan that HBO Max offers is Basic with Ads. This plan lets subscribers stream on up to two devices at once with a maximum resolution of 1080p. It doesn't support 4K resolution, and you won't be able to watch live sports. As the name suggests, you'll also be served ads in all content.
Standard: $18.49/month or $184.99/yearHBO Max's Standard plan is the best option for most users. It removes ads and lets you watch live sports like March Madness basketball games. You'll also be able to download up to 30 titles to watch without WiFi or cell service. However, you'll still only be able to watch on two devices at once, and resolution is capped at 1080p (no 4K).
Premium: $22.99/month or $229.99/yearPremium is HBO Max's top-tier plan. For just $4 more than standard, you get simultaneous streaming on up to four devices (two for live sports), which makes it ideal for large households. Premium also lets you watch certain content in 4K UHD resolution with Dolby Atmos immersive audio. You'll also be able to download up to 100 titles for offline viewing.
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