HBO Max Now on Amazon Fire TV Platform; Talks With Roku Continue

Roku is the only major video streaming service without HBO Max, after HBO's announcement Monday the service will be available on Amazon Fire TV devices starting Tuesday. Roku customers had access to HBO Go before the shutdown of that app in July but can’t get HBO through the Roku platform due to ongoing talks (see 2007010059). “We’re in discussions with Roku,” emailed a spokesperson at HBO parent AT&T Monday. Roku didn’t comment. The $14.99 monthly HBO Max service begins rolling out on Amazon Fire TV streaming players, Fire TV Edition smart TVs and Fire tablets Tuesday. Existing HBO subscribers through Amazon’s Prime Video channels will be able to log into the HBO Max app with their Amazon credentials “at no additional cost,” said HBO. The HBO app on Fire TV and Fire tablets will automatically update to become the HBO Max app, and customers will be able to log in using existing HBO credentials. HBO Max customers, regardless of how they subscribe to the platform, can access all of HBO Max via supported Fire TV and Fire tablet devices using existing provider credentials, it said. The agreement includes integration with Alexa for voice search. HBO Max content is also integrated into universal search on Fire TV: Its content will appear in searches such as “Alexa, find dramas” or “Alexa, find Game of Thrones,” for example. Since HBO Max launched in May, 8.6 million customers activated subscriptions.