In what’s becoming a common trend across the industry, HBO will be providing free content to viewers during the coronavirus lockdown. Following on from the likes of CBS All Access in opening up their paywall, HBO will be making HBO NOW and HBO GO free to access from Friday, April 3rd. While this offering does not include certain hit series like Game of Thrones, viewers will still be able to watch almost 500 hours of content from the HBO library, adding to the options available for those stuck at home.
The entertainment giant are using the slogan #StayHomeBoxOffice for the campaign, which will also be open to participating distributor partners including HBO over cable packages, and via HBONOW.com and HBOGO.com. The full list of shows, movies, and documentaries available from this Friday include:
Dramas/Comedies
Ballers (5 Seasons)
Barry (2 Seasons)
Silicon Valley (6 Seasons)
Six Feet Under (5 Seasons)
The Sopranos (7 Seasons)
Succession (2 Seasons)
True Blood (7 Seasons
Veep (7 Seasons)
The Wire (5 Seasons)Docuseries and Documentaries
The Apollo
The Case Against Adnan Syed
Elvis Presley: The Searcher
I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth v. Michelle Carter
The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley
Jane Fonda in Five Acts
McMillion$
True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality
United Skates
We Are the Dream: The Kids of the MLK Oakland Oratorical Fest
Warner Bros. Theatricals
Arthur
Arthur 2: On the Rocks
Blinded By the Light
The Bridges of Madison County
Crazy, Stupid, Love
Empire of the Sun
Forget Paris
Happy Feet Two
Isn’t It Romantic?
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
Midnight Special
My Dog Skip
Nancy Drew And The Hidden Staircase
Pan
Pokémon Detective Pikachu
Red Riding Hood
Smallfoot
Storks
Sucker Punch
Unknown
Of these series, anyone who’s been waiting to watch all of The Sopranos or The Wire now have as good a chance as any, while it will also be possible to catch up on recent shows like Succession. In terms of documentaries, HBO have a deep well of content to draw from, and the titles available provide a good selection of recent releases. The opening up of major Warner Bros. films such as Pokémon Detective Pikachu and The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part also gives users a preview of what to expect when HBO Max is made available, which is still likely to be in May.
As well as being a positive gesture during the lockdown, WarnerMedia Entertainment will also be hoping to attract attention as it plans to use HBO Max to combat Netflix, Disney Plus, and other streaming rivals. This strategy will include future big-hitting shows like Green Lantern, and possibly new Superman adaptations, as well as a live-action Pokémon series. Similar to Disney Plus and its roster of MCU content, HBO Max will also be launching with every DC movie from the last decade, and may even be the future home of the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League.
What do you think of HBO‘s streaming offer, though? Are there any shows you’ll finally catch up on over the next month? As ever, let us know in the comments section down below.
