HBO Max and Roku have finally struck a deal, and the streaming service will be available on Roku devices beginning on Thursday, Dec. 17. Subscribers have been waiting for WarnerMedia and Roku to come to an accord since May, and many had started to lose hope. Now, HBO Max will be easier to watch than ever just in time for Warner Bros.’ 2021 movie slate premiere.
HBO Max and Roku announced their deal on Tuesday, just a few hours before the app is expected to go live, according to a report by Variety. Roku executive Scott Rosenberg issued a public statement saying: “We believe that all entertainment will be streamed and we are thrilled to partner with HBO Max to bring their incredible library of iconic entertainment brands and blockbuster slate of direct to streaming theatrical releases to the Roku households with more than 100 million people that have made Roku the No. 1 TV streaming platform in America. Reaching mutually beneficial agreements where Roku grows together with our partners is how we deliver an exceptional user experience at an incredible value for consumers and we are excited by the opportunity to deepen our longstanding relationship with the team at WarnerMedia.”
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“We’re breaking new ground in the months ahead, and we can’t wait to work withh our longtime partners at Roku to build on our past successes and bring HBO Max’s best-in-class quality entertainment to Roku’s large and highly engaged audience,” added WarnerMedia’s Chief Revenue Officer Tony Goncalves.
The exact terms of the deal between Roku and HBO Max were not publicly disclosed, but both parties are apparently happy with the arrangement. Previously, the issues reportedly revolved around Roku’s existing deal with HBO as a cable network, not a streaming service. The company was not eager to give HBO Max the kind of deal that streamers like Netflix get, rather than the kind of deal cable channels get.
Roku and Amazon Fire TV are the two most popular streaming devices in the U.S., and Amazon Fire TV broke a similar stalemate last month, so it makes sense that a deal with Roku was not far behind. Additionally, Warner Bros. recently announced that all of its 2021 movies would release simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, so Roku could not pass up those eager users.
An HBO Max app will be available on Roku devices beginning on Thursday, Dec. 17. The service is available now for $14.99 per month.
