NOW Entertainment HBO Max represents a significant value shift for UK streamers. The service bundles Sky channels including Sky Atlantic, Sky One, Sky Docs, and Sky Witness with HBO Max Basic with Ads at no additional cost, starting from £3/month for eligible customers.
Key Takeaways
- NOW Entertainment includes HBO Max Basic with Ads free, normally worth £4.99/month standalone
- Bundle starts from £3/month for base NOW Entertainment tier in the UK
- Works on Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, plus phones, tablets, PCs, and major streaming devices
- HBO Max integrated into Sky and NOW from 26 March as part of Warner Bros. Discovery partnership
- Existing Sky TV and Sky Ultimate TV customers gain HBO Max access without extra cost
What NOW Entertainment HBO Max Actually Offers
NOW Entertainment HBO Max provides access to HBO’s full content library—shows like The Last of Us, Succession, and Game of Thrones—bundled with Sky’s entertainment channels in a single subscription. The inclusion of HBO Max Basic with Ads means viewers can stream without paying the £4.99/month that standalone HBO Max Basic costs. This integration happened on 26 March as Sky expanded its partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, bringing HBO content directly into the NOW platform and Sky devices.
The Basic with Ads tier limits streaming to 1080p resolution with 5.1 sound, two simultaneous devices, and no download capability. For viewers willing to pay extra, HBO Max offers higher tiers: Standard with Ads (£5.99/month, adding 30 downloads), Standard (£9.99/month, ad-free), and Premium (higher tier with 4K details not specified in available information). However, the free inclusion of Basic with Ads in NOW Entertainment means most casual viewers get substantial HBO content without additional spend.
Device Compatibility and Setup
NOW Entertainment HBO Max works across an extensive range of devices, making it genuinely accessible rather than locked to a single ecosystem. The service runs on Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream hardware, plus Android and iOS phones, tablets, PCs, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, and Xbox. For Sky Q, Sky Glass, or Sky Stream users, activation is straightforward: click the activation prompt on the home screen or open the HBO Max app to begin the process, with subscription payments handled through your existing Sky account.
Sky Glass, the company’s premium television hardware, starts at £309 for the 43-inch Air model and goes up to £649 for the 65-inch Air, with Gen 2 models ranging from £699 to £1,199. These devices provide a unified interface where NOW Entertainment HBO Max appears alongside other services, eliminating the need to switch apps constantly.
How NOW Entertainment HBO Max Compares to Alternatives
The real competitive advantage lies in bundling. A new customer paying £9.99/month for NOW Entertainment plus HBO Max together gets both Sky channels and HBO content. Purchasing HBO Max Basic with Ads standalone costs £4.99/month, making the NOW bundle a savings opportunity if you value both services. By contrast, Sky Ultimate TV—the premium Sky bundle—costs £24/month for new customers on a 24-month contract (from 1 April) or £30–£38/month on rolling terms. That bundle includes Sky TV, Netflix Standard with Ads, Disney+ Standard with Ads, HBO Max Basic with Ads, Hayu (from July), and discovery+, representing over £20/month in standalone value.
For viewers focused solely on HBO content, the Basic with Ads tier is the cheapest entry point at £4.99/month when purchased standalone, but bundling it with NOW Entertainment makes financial sense if you also want Sky channels. Netflix, Disney+, Paramount+, and Amazon Prime Video remain separate subscriptions, though some bundle with Sky Ultimate TV.
Is NOW Entertainment HBO Max Worth Your Money?
The value depends on whether you actually watch Sky channels. If you’re interested in HBO shows but skip Sky’s programming, paying for NOW Entertainment purely to access the included HBO Max Basic tier is inefficient—you’d be better off buying HBO Max standalone at £4.99/month. However, if you enjoy Sky Atlantic, Sky One, or Sky Docs, the NOW Entertainment bundle makes sense because you’re getting HBO Max at no extra charge.
One limitation: HBO Max Basic with Ads includes advertisements, which some viewers find intrusive. Upgrading to ad-free Standard (£9.99/month standalone) requires paying the full tier price rather than a discount applied to your NOW subscription—the upgrade cost is the full Standard price minus the Basic with Ads value already included. This means moving from Basic to Standard through NOW would cost roughly £10/month net rather than the full £9.99 standalone, but the exact upgrade mechanism depends on your current subscription status.
Can you get NOW Entertainment HBO Max on a free trial?
The research brief does not specify whether NOW Entertainment HBO Max offers a free trial period for new customers. UK streaming services often include trial periods, but this detail is not confirmed in available information, so check NOW’s website directly before signing up.
What’s the difference between HBO Max Basic with Ads and other HBO Max tiers?
HBO Max Basic with Ads (£4.99/month standalone, included free with NOW Entertainment) streams at 1080p resolution with 5.1 surround sound, supports two simultaneous devices, and includes no download option. Standard with Ads (£5.99/month) adds 30 downloads per month. Standard (£9.99/month) removes ads entirely. Premium (pricing not detailed) adds 4K resolution and additional features. For most viewers, Basic with Ads is sufficient for casual watching on phones and tablets.
Does NOW Entertainment HBO Max work on my TV?
Yes, NOW Entertainment HBO Max is compatible with Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Chromecast, PlayStation, and Xbox. If you own one of these devices, you can activate HBO Max directly through the app or home screen menu. For older TVs without built-in streaming apps, an external device like Amazon Fire TV or Chromecast will enable access.
The integration of HBO Max into NOW Entertainment marks a meaningful shift in UK streaming value. For £3/month, you’re getting Sky’s entertainment channels plus HBO’s premium content library, making it one of the cheapest entry points to both services. The catch is that this price applies only to the base NOW Entertainment tier, and the HBO Max inclusion is Basic with Ads—but for viewers willing to accept advertisements and 1080p resolution, the bundle represents genuine savings over buying services separately.
Edited by the All Things Geek team.
Source: T3
