Surprise: Now Tv Users Will Get Their Own HBO Max Account

Sky is rolling HBO Max into its services, and now tv Entertainment subscribers will be able to activate fully standalone HBO Max accounts rather than only using the integrated app, a move announced as Sky prepares a major reshuffle of its Ultimate TV bundle ahead of HBO Max’s UK launch.

What Now Tv Subscribers Will Get

NOW Entertainment subscribers are receiving HBO Max baked into their subscription, but Sky and EE have confirmed that those subscribers can also activate a standalone HBO Max account. The standalone account provides access to the HBO Max app on supported devices and lets subscribers use the service as a direct subscriber would, even though the subscription payment continues to be managed through the existing platform.

The integrated version of HBO Max inside the NOW app carries limits: picture quality is capped at 720p without a Boost upgrade and streaming is restricted to a single stream. Activating a standalone HBO Max account removes those platform-imposed limitations and allows users to log in to the HBO Max app independently.

Sky Ultimate TV Bundle and The Sign-Up Deadline

Sky is also reworking its Ultimate TV bundle to include additional streaming services at no extra cost. The £22 Ultimate TV package will add Disney+, HBO Max Basic with Ads and Hayu alongside the package’s existing Netflix and discovery+ access, a combined value the company says amounts to more than £20 per month or about £240 per year.

Sky has announced a price increase of £2 per month for new subscriptions from April 1, meaning customers must sign up by the March 31 deadline to secure the Ultimate TV bundle at the current price. HBO Max is due to go live on March 26, with the exact rollout dates for Disney+ and Hayu to follow later this month.

Most Sky TV customers on Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Sky Q with Sky Ultimate TV will receive HBO Max Basic with Ads bundled into their existing subscription at no extra cost from the HBO Max launch. Those Sky customers will get full HBO Max accounts that can be used on any compatible device and upgraded through Sky Billing if they choose.

How Standalone HBO Max Differs From The Integrated Version

When you subscribe to a service through a third-party platform—like NOW or Prime Video Channels—you typically watch content through that platform’s interface and are subject to that platform’s limits. A standalone account means you have a direct HBO Max login that exists independently of the third-party platform.

Prime Video Channels subscribers will also be able to activate standalone HBO Max accounts. Direct HBO Max subscriptions are available at four tiers, and the standalone activation offers the same direct-subscriber experience, including the ability to use the HBO Max app across supported devices and to upgrade subscription tiers; the contextual example notes that a direct subscription is available at a price point often referenced for direct subscribers.

The HBO Max launch brings HBO’s back catalogue and recent productions into one app, along with Warner Bros. films and TNT Sports, and TNT Sports will also be offered as a separate add-on at a specified monthly cost or as a standalone plan.

Sky’s changes mean NOW Entertainment subscribers and many Sky TV customers will see different implementation options for HBO Max: an integrated version inside the NOW app with some limits, or a fully functional standalone HBO Max account that provides the fuller app experience on any compatible device. Those weighing whether to sign up for Sky’s Ultimate TV bundle before the price change have until March 31 to secure the current pricing structure.