Max returns to its HBO roots with live linear channels

We often say that the more streaming evolves, the more it becomes like what it replaced in many homes – linear cable and satellite television.

There are regular price increases, the influx of ads, extra charges for 4K, week-by-week episode releases, and the influx of live sports, and other live events.

So, we’re not all that surprised to hear the Max streaming service (née HBO Max) in the United States is adding the linear HBO TV channels, enabling viewers to tune into what’s airing in the old world.

Because sometimes there’s comfort in just settling for what’s on, rather than being confronted by the endless choice of a well-stocked streaming library of the best and worst of cinema and television from close to a century of creation.

It’s not a foreign concept either. Paramount+ offers live feeds from the major CBS channels, while Peacock offers curated rolling channels from across the NBC Universal universe. Max itself had already added live news from CNN and top live sports from TNT in the last year or so.

The new Channels feature, which I’m not seeing at present as I’m on the ad-funded tier, appears as a new row on the Max homepage for customers included in the test, and it’ll provide 24/7 streams that mirror the cable broadcast offerings.

The five channels include the flagship HBO channel, HBO 2 (featuring marathons of popular original programming), HBO Signature (for blockbuster movies and top tier television), HBO Comedy (for all of those standup specials) and HBO Zone (which features documentary series, movies and more).

HBO has also hinted there’ll be more channels incoming, designed to fit the interests of individual viewers. Tyler Whitworth, Warner Bros. Discovery’s chief product officer, told The Verge: “We’re excited about even longer term, about personalising more of that experience and potentially bringing channels oriented to the specific interests of a specific user.”

Perhaps that’ll ease the pain of the planned crackdown on password sharing next year?

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