If you’ve been considering signing up to Max, prefer an ad-free viewing experience, and are already a DirecTV Stream subscriber, then it might just be best to bunde the HBO Max replacement with your live TV plan. After all, DirecTV Stream is now the cheapest way to get an ad-free Max subscription.
When HBO Max transformed into Max this week, a new Unlimited Ad Free subscription tier was added to the mix. While Ultimate Ad Free offers the best experience possible, Max continues to offer the With Ads and standard Ad-Free plans that HBO Max previously did.
When it comes to the standard Ad-Free plan, you will end up paying $15.99 per month ($4 less than Ultimate Ad-Free) when signing up through Max. In fact, you’ll also pay this price if you sign up through Hulu, Prime Video, and YouTube TV, and pretty much every other third-party service that offers Max as an add-on.
The one exception here is DirecTV Stream.
For those signed up to DirecTV Stream, or considering signing up, the cost of the Max add-on is $14.99 per month on top of one of the base plans. Even though this is only $1 saved per month, it is still $1 saved each month, and the equivalent to $12 over the course of a full year – that’s not far off the cost of a free month.
If you’re completely new to DirecTV Stream, the company also offers three months of Max (as well as other premium networks) for free when signing up.
When factoring in the free three months, and $14.99 per month for the remaining nine months of a year, the total cost for 12 months of Max comes out at $134.91. This is even less than the $149.99 annual Ad-Free plan that Max sells.
Of course, a $1 saving on Max is not a reason in itself to sign up to DirecTV Stream, and especially as there are cheaper live TV streaming services available. That said, if already subscribed to DirecTV Stream, it may make sense to subscribe to Max through the live TV service as well.
