When HBO Max launches in May, AT&T hopes to make the sign-in process as painless as possible for its existing HBO subscribers.
AT&T CFO John Stephens spoke Wednesday at a Citi investor conference, and said his company is working on allowing approximately 10 million AT&T-billed HBO subscribers use their existing credentials and log-ins to jump in HBO Max.
“We're very hopeful. We have a significant number of our own customers and we're working to make that available to our partners in cable distribution,” Stephens said.
At launch, AT&T will offer HBO Max to the approximately 10 million HBO subscribers on AT&T distribution platforms, at no additional charge. HBO Now direct-billed users who subscribe directly through HBONow.com will also have access to WarnerMedia’s HBO Max product. AT&T customers on premium video, mobile and broadband services will be offered bundles with HBO Max included at no additional charge.
RELATED: AT&T’s HBO Max deals with cable providers could come down to the wire
AT&T hasn’t announced any new HBO Max deals with its existing traditional HBO distributors. But in November, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said he’s optimistic his company’s pay TV partners will ultimately sign on to new distribution agreements for HBO Max.
He said the deals will still include monthly residuals for distributors, and that more user data will boost monetization for HBO Max’s ad-supported tier when it launches next year.
In December, though, Stankey warned that any new HBO Max deals with existing distributors could come down to the wire.
“It’s one of those things where there’s an inordinate amount of time spent by the sides at the front end posturing and then as a deadline approaches, a lot of work gets done in a very short period of time right before the deadline,” Stankey said. “I don’t expect these discussions are going to be a whole lot different…”
HBO Max will cost $14.99/month (same as HBO and HBO Now) when it launches in May. AT&T expects to have 50 million domestic subscribers and 75-90 million premium subscribers by year-end in 2025 across the U.S., Latin America and Europe.
HBO Max will launch with 10,000 hours of content, including the entire HBO service and new HBO Max Originals. The service will also have a library of content from Warner Bros., New Line, DC, CNN, TNT, TBS, truTV, Turner Classic Movies, Cartoon Network, Adult Swim, Crunchyroll, Rooster Teeth and Looney Tunes along with some third-party licensed series and films.