The streaming industry is more alive than ever. Sometimes to deliver bad news, like Netflix's price hike. And sometimes to give good news, like the jump from HBO Spain to HBO Max . A change to better than expands the catalog of series, documentaries and films, adds the expected UHD or 4K resolution , already present in the competition, and many others news. HBO Max comes to Europe and, best of all, Spain is on the list of graceful countries along with Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Whether or not you are a client of HBO Spain, you will have many questions to ask yourself about HBO Max. To begin with, what is the price of your subscription? What content will I find that there was not until now on HBO Spain? Will there be improvements in the app ? How can I sign up if I have not yet subscribed? We answer these and many other questions below.
HBO Spain, five years between us
HBO landed in Spain at the end of 2016. Until then, a large part of the catalog of this American giant, a subsidiary of WarnerMedia and owned by AT&T , was exclusive to Movistar . To highlight the success of Game of Thrones but also of other series such as Fargo, True Detective, Banshee, The Newsroom, True Blood, Boardwalk Empire or The Leftovers, among others. Curiously, HBO arrives in Spain from the hand of Vodafone in a bid to have exclusivities with external platforms and which currently also has the favors of Amazon Prime Video .
The fact is that for five years we have been able to enjoy HBO Spain either as subscribers of its platform or as clients of Vodafone by hiring the platform through some of its offers and promotions. In its catalog, classic series such as Los Sopranos, Entourage, The Wire and more recent ones such as Veep, Westworld or Silicon Valley.
HBO has distinguished itself from Netflix and other rivals for rewarding quality over quantity. A original quality content and a catalog of its own and others, perhaps not so abundant. But it is varied enough. In addition, its price has not undergone so many changes. In 2016 it was € 7.99 per month and so far it has been € 8.99 per month with the possibility of subscribing for a year at a cheaper price or purchasing gift cards for several months.
But not all are good news. There are several criticisms made of HBO Spain . The main one, that it does not offer content in 4K or UHD quality, something that already includes all the competition: Netflix, Disney +, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV + , etc. Another big complaint has to do with the quality of its official applications for the different compatible platforms, with the occasional crash or crash.
And in terms of popularity, while Netflix has been crowned as the rival to beat, HBO Spain has been overtaken by rivals such as Amazon Prime Video. Even Disney + , despite having been with us for less time, has already surpassed it in percentage of subscribers according to recent data from Barlovento.
HBO Max news
The HBO Max platform sees the light of day in the United States in 2020 and expands throughout Mexico and Latin America during the summer of 2021, replacing its previous brand, HBO GO and its pay television channels. In Europe we had to wait a little longer, but the wait is worth it, since it is a change for the better and a commitment to face the competition by unifying all the content of HBO and WarnerMedia .
Thus, on this platform we find both the classic and current content of HBO and the brands owned by WarnerBros , such as New Line, CNN, TNT, TBS, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Turner Classic Movies, Max Originals and, of course, DC Entertainment . Precisely, the content of DC current and future is one of the great assets of HBO Max , as we could see in its last online event.
Another great novelty of HBO Max has to do with its commitment to offer, exclusively, its film premieres on its platform. In the shortest possible time. Specifically, only 45 days after the launch on the big screen. Titles like Dune, Batman or The Matrix will hit your TV screen. Much earlier than expected thanks to your subscription to HBO Max .
Price of HBO Max in Spain
From October 26, launch date of HBO Max in Spain, you can subscribe to this streaming video platform at the same price that HBO Spain offered until now, 8'99 € per month . In principle, for the moment there will be no increase or change in prices despite the fact that the catalog is considerably expanded and more services and benefits are incorporated.
As if this were not enough, with the launch there will also be a promotion of 69'99 euros to subscribe to HBO Max for a year, which is equivalent to a price of less than 6 euros per month. However, according to the official website of the service, this offer is focused on current customers of HBO Spain .
Compatible devices and others characteristics
Like any OTT platform worth its salt, HBO Max is accessible from its official application. As it happened with HBO Spain . Of course, the application of the new platform seems to be more stable than the previous one, something that many users were crying out for.
Specifically, you can use HBO Max on iPhone and iPad, Android phone and tablet, Apple TV, Android TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, LG, Chrome OS, MacOS, Windows PC, PS5, PS4 , Xbox Series X | S, and Xbox One.
Otherwise, HBO Max allows you to play content on three devices at the same time . And create up to five custom profiles . Until now, there were no profiles in the service and it only allowed to play on two devices simultaneously. And best of all, in addition to HD content, we can enjoy series and movies in 4K UHD quality . It will also allow you to download content to play it offline .
What if I am a Vodafone customer?
If nothing changes, Vodafone has an agreement to integrate HBO Max into its pay TV platform. An exclusivity that began with HBO Spain upon arrival in 2016 and that should be maintained. Thus, the services offered by Vodafone include the possibility of contracting HBO Max .
This means that if until now you enjoy HBO Spain for free with Vodafone, nothing will change with the jump to HBO Max . The same happens with the different offers, promotions and plans to contract HBO together with other platforms or payment channels.
For example, the most outstanding Vodafone offer offers the Seriefans Pack free for one year, which includes HBO , if you contract the Vodafone One unlimited Plus mobile rate. And without promotion, that package costs 10 euros a month in exchange for HBO, FOX Now, AXN Now and various pay channels such as TNT, Syfy, Calle 13 or Comedy Central.
How do I sign up for HBO Max?
If you are already a user of HBO Spain , to enjoy HBO Max you don't have to do anything. You probably received an email advising you that you could not make changes to your account between October 20 and 26. With the launch of HBO Max , you will have instant access to the new service. In his own words, “on October 26, 2021 your HBO Spain account will be transformed into an HBO Max account. All you have to do is download the HBO Max app and use your current login information to access the new service. ”
And if you are interested in subscribing to HBO Max , the process is as simple as usual in this type of service. As of October 26, on its official page you will find a button to register and / or sign up . You will only have to indicate some personal information, indicate a payment method and a password for your user. Once your account is validated, you will be able to watch HBO Max on all your devices.
