New addition means you'll be able to watch HBO Max alongside free-to-air channels
HBO Max is finally available on Aero 4K TV Streamer, the second Freely-powered set-top box to launch in the UK.
The critically-acclaimed streaming service starts from £4.99 per month – that's £1 cheaper than the most affordable Netflix subscription. HBO Max brings together must-see shows from HBO, Warner Bros. Television, Max Originals, as well as blockbuster films from Warner Bros. Pictures and DC Studios.
Even if you don't recognise the HBO brand, you'll definitely know its biggest shows, which collected 142 Emmy Awards last year alone. HBO is the US network behind some of the biggest breakout hits of recent years, like The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Succession, Heated Rivalry, And Just Like That, House of the Dragon, Big Little Lies, The Pitt, It: Welcome to Derry, The Flight Attendant, The Penguin, and more.
It's also behind several must-binge boxsets from the last two decades, including The Wire, The Sopranos, Sex and the City, True Detective, Band of Brothers, True Blood, and Six Feet Under. Many of these shows were broadcast exclusively via Sky Atlantic in the UK, with new HBO series still set to air on this flagship channel — but the only way to access the complete catalogue will be to invest in an HBO Max subscription.
Gaining access to HBO Max on the popular TV set-top box bridges the gap between premium pay-TV and the UK’s next-gen free live platform, offering a highly flexible viewing setup.
If you're not familiar, the Aero 4K TV Streamer plugs into the back of any TV via an HDMI port, including TVs from Samsung or LG that would otherwise miss out. Since Freely runs over Wi-Fi, as long as you have a plug socket and a good connection, you can enjoy all the same features the service has to offer.
That means you can place your television anywhere in the house as long as it has a minimum 10Mbps connection, and that bad weather can't disrupt your latest boxset obsession, sports fixture, or movie night.
It's ideal if you're not ready to upgrade your telly but still want to take advantage of all of Freely's latest offerings. Plus, new research suggests aerials could be retired in 2034.
Stream HBO Max with the Manhattan Aero 4K TV streamer from Currys
The Aero 4K TV Streamer runs the award-winning TiVo OS – so on top of Freely, there’s also access to apps for Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video, as well as YouTube and much more. Streaming in stunning 4K picture quality is supported. You'll also get support for voice search, so finding your next binge-watch won't require any fiddly typing using the directional keypad on the remote.
It's the second streaming box for HBO Max to become available — right behind the Netgem Pleio.
The Pleio box includes a set-top box, remote, game controller, a 12-month subscription to premium channels, and cloud gaming.
You'll get access to a library of rotating games in addition to the thousands of shows and movies you'd also find on the Aero 4K TV Streamer. In the set-top box's recent update, you're being treated to four new games.
It's worth remembering that ownership of the hardware is deferred until the 12-month subscription period ends, which means you’re essentially leasing or financing it as part of the subscription. You can't sell the Pleio box after six months as a second-hand item, since you don't technically own it at that point.
Unlike the Aero 4K TV Streamer — with video and streaming apps pre-installed — you'll get access to the Google Play Store with access to a wide variety of entertainment, sports, and streaming apps.
If you want a specific app to become available on the Aero 4K Streamer, you need to wait for Manhattan to add it.
Watch HBO Max with Netgem's Pleio from Amazon
French entertainment brand Netgem is the first brand to launch a plug-and-play box that brings Freely to any television. Connect via HDMI, and you'll be able to stream the most popular free-to-air channels, including the BBC, ITV, Channel 4, U, and, of course, GB News. Freely arrives packed with several features previously only found on paid-for options like Sky Stream and EE TV
HBO Max UK price plans
HBO Max is available in four different subscription options:
HBO Max is also available across all major devices, including set-top boxes from Sky TV and Virgin Media, dongles like EE TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google TV, as well as iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, game consoles, and Smart TV platforms from LG, Roku, and Samsung.
