The HBO Max streaming service finally arrives on Roku devices tomorrow, Dec. 17.
Parent company WarnerMedia announced the deal with Roku as it prepares to release Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max on Christmas Day.
The two parties hit an impasse in negotiating new terms to bring the streaming service to the Roku platform, which has 46 million active user accounts. As a result, WarnerMedia was missing out on a major subscriber base to prop up HBO Max against the competition. But on Wednesday, Roku said it had reached a “mutually beneficial agreement” with WarnerMedia to help HBO Max reach an even wider audience.
The deal is also a win for consumers. The Wonder Woman 1984 release will arrive on HBO Max at no extra cost over the standard $14.99 monthly fee. So Roku device owners now have the option of enjoying the blockbuster on day one from home.
Next year, HBO Max will also stream 17 new blockbusters, including the Matrix 4, Dune, and Space Jam: A New Legacy, on the same day the films release in movie theaters. So consumers have good reason to try out the streaming service in the coming weeks and months. (The major movie theater chain AMC, however, is not happy with the arrangement.)
To get HBO Max, Roku owners can go to the Roku channel store to add the app to their device.
“For users who have already subscribed to HBO through their Roku devices, the HBO app will automatically update to become the HBO Max app, and they will be able to log in using their existing HBO credentials,” WarnerMedia added.