HBO disappeared from Amazon’s Channels store this week, and with it, roughly 5 million subscriptions to the service got canceled automatically. If you’re one of the people affected by this, read on, as you’re eligible for a money-saving deal on a new HBO Max subscription.
The decision to remove HBO from Amazon Channels happened last year when WarnerMedia negotiated with Amazon to get HBO Max on the Amazon Fire TV platform. HBO is an older service, while the relatively new HBO Max service offers more content for the same $14.99 monthly subscription price (or the cheaper, ad-supported $9.99 option).
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Amazon will be handing out prorated refunds to HBO subscribers right now, but HBO is also reaching out with a special offer to entice those former subscribers to sign up for HBO Max instead.
If you subscribed to HBO via Amazon Channels, or are a new or returning HBO Max subscriber, get six months of ad-free HBO Max access for $7.49six months of ad-free HBO Max access for $7.49 (50% off) if you sign up between Sept. 17-26, which amounts to $44.94 in savings. After that, it reverts to the standard $14.99 subscription unless you cancel.
Anyone taking advantage of the offer will be able to access the service through the standalone HBO Max app available on all Amazon Fire TV devices.
Why did WarnerMedia decide this was a good idea? It’s all about “owning the customer,” HBO Max chief Andy Forssell tells Bloomberg. “If the viewer is in the app, we can tailor the home page to them. We can tailor what they show them next. We can respond to that in real time,” he says.
