HBO Max users upset they can’t access service on Roku or Amazon Fire TV

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

The latest streaming service entered the streaming wars on Wednesday and like most debuts, it was met with some accolades and disappointment. HBO Max has a lot riding on its success with a library including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, and 2,000 WarnerMedia films as well as original content. Every launch isn't without its flaws and the biggest flaw, at least voiced by many on social media, is that the new service isn't available to them on two of the biggest streaming platforms.

HBO Max users were frustrated Wednesday morning when they realized they'd be unable to watch the massive streaming platform on their Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices.  HBO parent company AT&T has not yet reached an agreement with either company to showcase the new service and it's an agreement that many users thought should've been in place before HBO Max decided to launch. Judging based solely on numbers, they might be right. Not having Roku or Amazon Fire TV deals in place represents a huge gap in HBO Max's reach. Roku had 39.8 million active user accounts at the end of March and that's a figure that's certainly higher now. Back in January, Amazon said that Fire TV had over 40 million active users and they say that figure is even higher now as well, although they aren't providing the updated figure. What is known is that, according to Amazon, nearly 5 million HBO subscribers currently access the premium service through Prime Video Channels. So what's going on here?

Various reports say the entities are haggling over revenue-sharing terms and the objection over HBO Max shifting to an app-based distribution model because that means all the content is funneled through WarnerMedia's side of things instead of through the Roku and Amazon channel platforms. There is also the issue of how advertising will be divvied up for an ad-supported, lower-cost version of HBO Max that WarnerMedia is set to launch in 2021.

Roku and Amazon both released statements on the matter and while both hope to reach an agreement, one entity was more cordial than the other when addressing the failure to come to terms. Here is what a Roku spokesman had to say:

"We are focused on mutually positive distribution agreements with all new OTT services that will deliver a quality user experience to viewers in the more than 40 million households that choose Roku to access their favorite programs and discover new content. Unfortunately, we haven't reached agreement yet with HBO Max. While not on our platform today, we look forward to helping HBO Max in the future successfully scale their streaming business."

Perhaps Roku's talks are running more smoothly than Amazon's because there was a bit more shade in their statement on the matter:

"AT&T is choosing to deny these loyal HBO customers access to the expanded catalog. We believe that if you're paying for HBO, you're entitled to the new programming through the method you're already using. That's just good customer service and that's just a priority for us."

It's worth noting that Roku and Fire TV users should still be able to access their HBO Go and HBO Now apps on their respective devices but even if you have the HBO Go or HBO Now app on your Roku or Fire TV, or even if your HBO subscription was upgraded to Max, you won't be able to watch HBO Max on those platforms. WarnersMedia did secure a dozen distribution deals for HBO Max ahead of launch so you can access the service on iOS and Android; Xbox One and Playstation 4; Apple TV; Chromecast; and web browsers. HBO Max also made a last-minute deal with Comcast for the streaming service on the day of its launch. 

I had to fall into the Chromecast camp to get HBO Max on my TV because I have a TCL smart TV with Roku as well as an Amazon Firestick. It wasn't a huge deal for me but check out some of these tweets from users below that weren't too pleased that Roku or Amazon Fire TV wasn't an option for their HBO Max viewing: