Warner Media, the parent company for HBO, announced Thursday that some of HBO’s most-beloved shows will be viewable for free through the end of April through its HBO NOW and HBO GO apps. The campaign has a hashtag playing on HBO’s full name and the larger collective push for social distancing: #StayHomeBoxOffice.
HOW TO STREAM HBO
In this time of financial uncertainty as well as just plain uncertainty, it’s a welcome announcement, as HBO’s long had a reputation for creating bingeworthy shows, and a lot of social distancers are likely up for some binge-watching in April.
While HBO’s making its content available without a subscription, it’s worth noting that HBO NOW has a seven-day free trial option for all its content before the $14.99 a month subscription cost kicks in. For some streamers, HBO NOW is part of an entertainment package allowing them to pair a skinny service like Philo or Sling with HBO’s suite of movies and original programming.
HBO NOW vs. HBO GO: What’s the difference?
As the Daily Dot explained in a recent article, HBO GO is a streaming service that connects to your pre-existing HBO package from your cable provider, whereas HBO NOW is a standalone service that anyone can sign up for, regardless of whether they have cable. You can purchase it directly from HBO or via another service like Amazon Prime.
#StayHomeBoxOffice: What’s being made available?
HBO original series
- Ballers (5 seasons)
- Barry (2 seasons)
- Silicon Valley (6 seasons)
- Six Feet Under (5 seasons)
- The Sopranos (7 seasons)
- Succession (2 seasons)
- True Blood (7 seasons)
- Veep (7 seasons)
Docuseries and documentaries
- The Apollo
- The Case Against Adnan Syed
- Elvis Presley: The Searcher
- I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
- The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
- Jane Fonda in Five Acts
- McMillion$
- True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality
- United Skates
- We Are the Dream: The Kids of the MLK Oakland Oratorical Fest
Movies
- Arthur
- Arthur 2: On the Rocks
- Blinded By the Light
- The Bridges of Madison County
- Crazy, Stupid, Love
- Empire of the Sun
- Forget Paris
- Happy Feet Two
- Isn’t It Romantic?
- The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
- Midnight Special
- My Dog Skip
- Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase
- Pan
- Pokémon Detective Pikachu
- Red Riding Hood
- Smallfoot
- Storks
- Sucker Punch
- Unknown
HBO GO vs HBO NOW: Devices and services
While HBO GO was originally just for Apple and iOS devices, the service has expanded over the years to work on almost every platform. For the most part, both HBO GO and HBO NOW work on the exact same devices, with just a few odd exceptions. HBO NOW does not work with Microsoft Edge or Tivo, so if those are your main viewing platforms, you’ll want to consider HBO GO.
You can also access HBO NOW from within the Amazon Prime and Hulu streaming apps as an add-on if you don’t want to juggle a new app. If you’re a cord-cutter, HBO NOW is also available via Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick, and Roku, as well as gaming consoles like Xbox One and PS4. In any case, you’ll pay $14.99 a month for the service; you’ll just miss out on HBO’s interface. Instead, HBO content is accessed just like any other channel within the app.
How to stream HBO online
| 7 Day Trial | FREE |
| Live TV +Hulu | $64.99 |
| Live TV +Hulu (no ads) | $70.99 |
Hulu Live TV is one of the most popular ways to stream live TV, perhaps because you gain access to a massive library of on-demand content including classic and current TV shows, movies, not to mention Hulu’s original programming. As far as live-streaming goes, you’ll have a ton of local, entertainment, and sports channels to flip through, including HGTV, a full suite of ESPN channels, Cartoon Network, FX, and even deep cuts like Nat Geographic and Syfy.
| Plus | $65 |
| Max | $80 |
| Ultimate | $135 |
There’s a good chance that you’re already looking to AT&T for your wireless needs. The second you sign up, you’ll gain instant access to 45+ channels, including local channels and even free HBO in the Plus and Max channel suites. Plus, it comes with CloudDVR, which lets you record up to 20 hours of TV per month. One account works on two devices, but you can add more devices for only $5.
READ MORE:
- The cheapest way to watch HBO without cable
- Here’s everything you need to know about HBO Max
- The 34 best movies on HBO Go and HBO Now
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