Is Max access via AT&T wireless going away 2/27?

[cypherstream]

I received this email today from DirecTV:

As an AT&T customer with a qualifying wireless or broadband plan that includes
access to the Max (HBO) app, you have been receiving access from AT&T through the Max app as well as within your DIRECTV® video plan.

Starting as early as 2/27/25, Max access will no longer be available through your DIRECTV video plan. At that time, you will only have access to Max through the
dedicated app.

To learn more about how you can watch Max through the app on the DIRECTV Gemini
device and other options, including adding Max to your DIRECTV video service, please visit directv.com/maxbenefit.

Thank you.

DIRECTV Team


Every time I go to that /max benefit page, it redirects me to my account summary. I never watch it through the genie, I use the max app directly. Will even using the max app directly cease to work come 2/27?

Bill already went up from $89 to $102 this month, and now this? Take it they are just asking for customers to leave?

 

[KyL416]

If I'm reading that text right, your AT&T plan will no longer give you free access to HBO on DTV channels 501-511 and 1501, but you'll still have free access to Max via its standalone app and website by linking it to your AT&T account. If you have a Gemini client, you can also install the Max app from the Play Store.

That link is for customers who want to still be able to watch the HBO channels via DIRECTV. Since you said you already do all of your watching via the Max app, nothing will change, although you might have to relink Max with your AT&T account after the switchover.


Back in September AT&T announced plans to sell their remaining stake in DIRECTV, and they spunoff Warner Media to Discovery back in 2022, so eventually the era of AT&T customers having exclusive freebies on DIRECTV is going to come to an end once the grandfathered programming contracts expire.

 

[cypherstream]

Right now when I sign into max, I choose DirecTV as my provider and use those credentials. So I think it sounds like they would remove that option, similar to how Paramount+ doesn’t list Comcast as a provider, despite those customers seeing it worded as Showtime with Paramount+ on their bills? Don’t mean to compare, but I guess the list of providers to sign in can vary from one streaming provider to the next.

What sucks is the AT&T phone is handled by my wife. Now I have to bug her for the passwords.

The only time I’m using linear HBO channels is for background noise. Otherwise whatever’s on is already started, so the app works since we can watch things from the beginning.

This levels the playing field with Comcast, Service Electric, YouTube TV, Hulu live. One of the reasons we stay with DirecTV, besides familiarity, is the price with the HBO Max bundled in, and $25 a month off with qualifying AT&T wireless- makes it cheaper to part out our triple play. SECV 1000/100 D3.1 Internet, VoIP.ms for home phone, DirecTV for Video. Because the cable operators have excessive fees, it was never a deal to bundle. Internet streaming could work as a replacement, but I hate to have all my eggs in one basket. At least with Satellite, if there’s some kind of Internet outage, TV still works.

 

[KyL416]

DIRECTV customers who subscribe to HBO will still be able to login to the Max app with their DTV credentials.

What's changing is that with AT&T and DTV splitting, AT&T wireless or internet customers who get Max for free will no longer get HBO for free on their DIRECTV accounts and will now have to use their AT&T credentials to login to the Max app.

For those AT&T customers it will now be no different than what customers of other services who bundle Max have to do.

 

[cypherstream]

DIRECTV customers who subscribe to HBO will still be able to login to the Max app with their DTV credentials.

What's changing is that with AT&T and DTV splitting, AT&T wireless or internet customers who get Max for free will no longer get HBO for free on their DIRECTV accounts and will now have to use their AT&T credentials to login to the Max app.

For those AT&T customers it will now be no different than what customers of other services who bundle Max have to do.

Ok, well no reason to pay for it twice, it think its over $14 or more a month on DirecTV. I'll have to see what my wifes AT&T phone bill is like. In fact she was going to redo that once a few years back and it screwed up all our DirecTV discounts so she had to work with a manager to undo that mess.

Bottom line is we have to see which is cheaper. DirecTV with HBO Max (no not cinemax as confusing as that is)... and a reduced AT&T wireless bill (but possibly lose the $25/m DirecTV discount).
Or keep things the way they are, expensive AT&T bill + cheap DirecTV bill. She pays the AT&T, I pay the DirecTV so you know my vote.

 

[dtv757]

thanks for clarifying . so if we don't have ATT cell phone and have MAX through D* we still get MAX app and BR sports

 

[KyL416]

Max yes, as long as HBO is part of your DTV subscription.

Who knows with BR sports, WBD keeps on changing their plans. When BR Sports on Max launched in October 2023 they said it's "A $9.99/month value, on us for a limited time", and some of their pages mentioned it ending in September 2024, but it's still included with all Max plans. More recently WBD and AEW struck a new rights deal which includes BR Sports on Max having simulcasts, and none of their announcements said anything about it eventually requiring a separate paid addon.

With Netflix getting WWE, NFL and now the FIFA Women's World Cup rights, along with Prime Video, Peacock and Paramount+ offering live sports on their ad supported base plans, Disney signing new carriage deals that includes ESPN+ for free, and Turner losing their NBA rights, hopefully WBD is dropping any plans they had to charge extra for BR Sports.

 

[cypherstream]

That added Netflix stuff is likely why they are raising rates.