How Much Is HBO Max? 2026 Plans & Prices
HBO Max costs $10.99 a month for Basic with Ads, $18.49 a month for Standard, or $22.99 a month for Premium in the United States. Every plan also comes in an annual version that saves about 16%: $109.99 a year for Basic with Ads, $184.99 a year for Standard, and $229.99 a year for Premium. Pick Basic with Ads if price matters most, Standard if you want ad-free streaming plus live sports and downloads, or Premium if you want 4K, Dolby Atmos, and four streams at once.
HBO Max Plans And Prices In 2026
HBO Max's own help center lists three consumer plans. Prices do not include applicable taxes, and availability can differ slightly if you subscribe through a third party such as Roku or Amazon instead of hbomax.com. Here is the current U.S. price ladder:
- Basic with Ads — $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year. You get ads before and during shows, streaming on two devices at once, and Full HD 1080p video. No offline downloads and no live sports.
- Standard — $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year. Ad-free viewing on two devices at once in Full HD 1080p, up to 30 downloads for offline watching, and live sports included.
- Premium — $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year. Ad-free viewing on four devices at once (limited to two for live sports), 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos where available, and up to 100 downloads.
You can confirm the current numbers any time on the official HBO Max plans and prices page.
Which Plan Should You Pick?
For most people the decision comes down to three questions. First, do ads bother you? If not, Basic with Ads is $7.50 a month cheaper than Standard and carries the same catalog. Second, do you care about live sports? Games are only included with Standard and Premium, so sports fans should skip Basic. Third, do you have a 4K TV and actually use it? Premium is the only tier with 4K and Dolby Atmos, and it is the only one that allows four simultaneous streams, which matters in bigger households.
If you are weighing HBO Max against the other big services, see our current breakdowns of Netflix's 2026 prices and Hulu's 2026 plans for comparison.
Live Sports And Pay-Per-View
Live sports are included with the Standard and Premium plans at no extra charge. HBO Max currently carries select live events including MLB and NHL games, NCAA Men's March Madness, U.S. Soccer, and premier cycling events. Note the stream limit: even on Premium, live sports can only run on two devices at once. HBO Max also sells pay-per-view events on select devices; a purchased PPV event streams on one device at a time.
The Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle
If you also subscribe to Disney+ or Hulu, the three-service bundle gets you all of them for less than paying separately. Bundle pricing and tier options change periodically, so check the current offer on the signup page before committing — but if you already pay for two of the three services, it is almost always worth running the math.
Extra Member Add-On
Subscribers billed directly by HBO Max (through hbomax.com) can add an Extra Member — a separate login for someone who does not live with you — for an additional monthly fee. This is HBO Max's answer to password-sharing rules: instead of blocking the second household, it sells them a legitimate seat on your account.
Ways To Pay Less
- Go annual. Yearly billing knocks about 16% off every tier — Basic with Ads works out to about $9.17 a month when paid annually.
- Watch for first-year promos. In June 2026 HBO Max ran a limited-time deal cutting first-year annual prices to $78.99 (Basic with Ads), $132.99 (Standard), and $164.99 (Premium). Promos like this come and go, so check the checkout page for current offers.
- Bundle it. The Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle beats paying for the services separately.
- Check your TV or internet provider. Xfinity, Cox, Verizon perks, and others sometimes include or discount HBO Max.
Didn't This Used To Be Called Max?
Yes. HBO Max rebranded to just "Max" in 2023, then switched back to HBO Max in mid-2025. It is the same service and the same account — only the name and app icon changed. If your TV still shows a blue Max icon, update the app and it will refresh to the current HBO Max branding.
How To Check Or Change Your Plan
On a phone, tablet, or computer, open HBO Max, choose your profile, then Subscription. On a TV device, choose the Settings icon, then Subscription. Only adult profiles can manage subscriptions. Whether you can change plans in the app depends on who bills you — hbomax.com subscribers can switch directly, while Prime Video Channels subscribers have to cancel, wait for the term to end, and resubscribe on the new plan. If you are having trouble getting into your account at all, start with our guide to fixing HBO Max when it is not working.
FAQ
Does the cheapest plan include live sports?
No. Basic with Ads does not include live sports — you need Standard or Premium to watch games.
Do the listed prices include tax?
No. HBO Max's listed prices exclude applicable taxes, so your bill can be slightly higher depending on where you live.
Where can I subscribe?
Directly at hbomax.com, or through Amazon (Appstore and Prime Video Channels), Roku, Samsung, Xfinity, Cox, and Xumo. Note that some partners only offer the Basic with Ads and Standard plans with monthly billing.
How do I sign in on my TV?
Use the code-based sign-in — our walkthrough of activating HBO Max on your TV covers every device.
What if I want out?
Cancellation steps depend on who bills you — here is how to cancel HBO Max on every platform.