Just in time for the holidays, HBO Max and Amazon Fire TV have finally reached a long-awaited agreement, which will allow the WarnerMedia streaming app to be available to users starting this week. According to the official announcement, the HBO Max app will be ready for use on all of Amazon’s Fire devices on Tuesday, November 17. The app will also be available to users who subscribed to HBO through Amazon’s Prime Video Channel, which had been source of contention in hammering out an arrangement.
The Fire TV deal still leaves some other streaming users out of the mix, but there appear to be signs that HBO Max is starting to hammer out more deals. Via Polygon:
While HBO Max’s arrival on Amazon devices should make it much easier for more people to watch, the service still remains conspicuously absent from a few of the most popular streaming platforms, including Roku and the newly released PlayStation 5. But with WarnerMedia finding a way to work out and agreement with Amazon, it’s possible deals with companies like Roku could be on the way in the near future.
The Amazon deal also arrives on the heels of a Bloomberg report that Warner Bros. is considering making a big play for HBO Max subscribers through an unorthodox release plan for Wonder Woman 1984. According to the report, WW84 would still arrive in theaters on Christmas day, but two weeks later, it would start streaming on HBO Max in an effort to recoup the box office loss by picking up subscribers. However, it should be noted that this plan is not confirmed, and furthermore, it is reportedly very fluid and could change at any moment.
As for Roku users still waiting for the HBO Max app to become available, there is a new workaround available, which allows user to “cast” HBO Max from their iPhones, iPads, or Macs. Granted, it only works with 4K devices, but those are becoming more standard these days.
(Via Polygon)