HBO Max — now simply Max — and Netflix are two of the best streaming services, but now, one of them is becoming a second home for some of the other’s great shows.
According to Deadline, Warner Bros. Discovery made a deal to give Netflix five of its original series, and there are some heavy hitters on the list. Issa Rae’s show Insecure is headlining the list, but it’s joined by Band of Brothers, The Pacific, Six Feet Under and Ballers.
And for those of you outside of the U.S., you get a bonus sixth show. True Blood (which recently popped up in a censored version on American cable) will also be coming to Netflix for non-U.S. markets. The show is currently on Hulu in the U.S..
All five seasons of Insecure hit Netflix on July 3rd, so you can start watching that now. The other shows do not have a Netflix release date at this time, though I’ll certainly be keeping an eye out. Band of Brothers in particular is a phenomenal show, and I’m due for a rewatch.
HBO shows are increasingly available elsewhere
This marks yet another instance of Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav using HBO’s prestigious portfolio of TV shows to give the debt-ridden company a cash infusion.
Back in December — a few months after Warner Bros and Discovery merged into a single entity — executives at the company announced that several shows would be made free with ads on free streaming services like The Roku Channel and Tubi.
Roku ultimately got the HBO Max shows that Zaslav & Co. offloaded, and you can now even watch Westworld on The Roku Channel along with a host of other Warner Bros. TV shows.
Now add in these five shows going to Netflix and suddenly there’s a lot of HBO shows you don’t need a Max subscription to watch.
If you’re looking to save money, sticking to Netflix and free streaming services could soon be a consideration to get your prestige TV fix.
Granted, none of these series are still running. Insecure is the most recent show of this latest bunch, and it ended in 2021. But they are good — even critically acclaimed. Insecure secured 14 Emmy nominations and even a win. Band of Brothers received 20 Emmy nominations, winning Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series in 20024. The Pacific also won that same award six years later in 2010. Six Feet Under also received numerous Emmy nominations and three wins. So it’s not a case of HBO giving away dregs to a competitor. These are great shows.
Fortunately, they’re also all still available on Max. Unlike Westworld, which was exiled from the new streaming service, these five shows (six if you include True Blood) are all still available to watch. But if you’re looking to save money, sticking to Netflix and free streaming services could soon be a consideration to get your prestige TV fix.
