HBO’s new streaming service HBO Max launched in May, the latest in a series of multimillion-dollar forays into the realm of streaming this year, after Disney Plus, Peacock, and Quibi at a time when we’re spending more time at home and streaming.
While Netflix is HBO Max’s most direct competitor, Disney Plus comes as a close second: Both are effective new streaming services with an extensive repertoire of incredibly popular television shows and films, including some geared toward children.
With millions of people experiencing financial hardship due to the coronavirus epidemic, subscribing to both HBO Max and Disney Plus (See complete Disney Plus Begin Guide) may be too expensive. However, how do you make your decision? Based on what we know about HBO Max at launch, here’s how the two newest streaming services compare.
Max HBO
HBO Max is the most significant new Netflix competitor to arrive since… well when Disney Plus launched. The streaming service includes everything available on HBO, as well as several exclusives and a large back catalogue of popular shows, including The Big Bang Theory, major sitcoms Friends and animated hits Rick and Morty and South Park, and numerous Warner Bros. films, including The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Matrix trilogies, Lego and DC films, and even beloved Studio Ghibli anime titles. Consequences? It is too costly. However, HBO Max is priced similarly to HBO Now, which means that if you currently subscribe to HBO Now, HBO Max will provide you with far more material for the same price.
Disney Plus
Disney Plus, which started in November, now has over 54 million customers. Disney’s streaming service is the official home for Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and other Disney brands and original programming’s such as The World According to Jeff Goldblum and The Mandalorian. While it lacks unique material, it is a cost-effective option for children.
There are several distinctions in terms of content, which we’ll discuss later, but the most significant distinction upfront is the price. HBO Max costs about double what Disney Plus does per month.
As with regular HBO, the HBO Max is $15 per month – unless you sign up for a year-in-advance deal that reduces the price to $12 per month. HBO’s corporate friend company AT&T offers savings for those who subscribe to its wireless phone and television contracts.
Disney Plus is far less expensive at $7 per month or $70 per year – and is complimentary for at least a year if you have Verizon Unlimited, Fios Home Internet, or US Mobile. Additionally, bundles with Hulu and ESPN Plus are available. Read our HBO Max TV Sign in instructions
HBO Max is the most diverse network
Disney Plus offers a diverse portfolio of popular films and television series due to its ownership of Marvel. Star Wars and The Simpsons and the full Pixar, Disney Signature Series, and Disney Vault collections of historic hand-drawn animated films. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, Disney Plus has acquired a few films streaming sooner than planned, such as Frozen 2 and Onward. In contrast, others, such as Artemis Fowl, will avoid cinemas entirely. Additionally, it will host a cinematic adaptation of a tiny stage piece titled Hamilton in July.
HBO Max provides a greater range of programming, particularly for adults and children. It will debut with 10,000 hours of material, including all of HBO’s series and films, as well as a selection of high-profile licensed programming, like Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Rick and Morty, and South Park. Additionally, it includes the complete sets of The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings. The Matrix trilogies, DC films such as Joker and Wonder Woman, classic films such as The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca, and newer hits such as A Star is Born and Crazy Rich Asians — not to mention nearly the entire catalogue of Studio Ghibli anime feature film that have never been available for streaming in the United States.
When it comes to original material, Disney Plus has struggled to find many breakthroughs — with the notable exception of The Mandalorian, which became a tremendous smash in part due to Baby Yoda.
HBO Max may be a more natural home for original programming: It’s already airing six Max Originals, including an anthology series called Love Life starring Anna Kendrick, in which each episode follows a different character via a new romantic engagement. None of the six shows has yet to become a critical or commercial success. However, HBO officials stated that the channel is on target to broadcast 30 originals in its first year and 60 in its second, despite the pandemic postponing the release of some programmers, like the highly anticipated Friends reunion special.
When it comes to original material, Disney Plus has struggled to find many breakthroughs — with the notable exception of The Mandalorian, which became a tremendous smash in part due to Baby Yoda.
HBO Max may be a more natural home for original programming: It’s already airing six Max Originals, along with an anthology show called Love Life featuring Anna Kendrick, in which each episode follows a different character via a new romantic engagement. None of the six shows has yet to become a critical or commercial success. However, HBO officials stated that the channel is on target to broadcast 30 originals in its first year and 60 in its second, despite the pandemic postponing the release of some programmers, like the eagerly anticipated Friends reunion special.