now tv subscribers in the UK can activate a fully standalone HBO Max account when the service launches on March 26 (ET), a move that lets users bypass platform limits on the integrated app. Sky and EE confirmed the option will sit alongside the version built into third-party apps. The change matters because the built-in HBO Max experience is limited and a standalone account restores the full app features.
Now Tv: Standalone HBO Max access explained
The most critical development is simple: when Warner Bros. Discovery’s HBO Max launches in the UK on March 26 (ET), NOW Entertainment subscribers will receive HBO Max baked into their subscriptions, and they will also be able to activate a direct, standalone HBO Max account. The integrated HBO Max in the NOW app has technical limitations — 720p picture quality without a Boost upgrade and a single stream — while a standalone HBO Max account sidesteps those restrictions and allows sign-in on the HBO Max app on any supported device.
Prime Video Channels HBO Max subscribers will have the same standalone activation option. Sky customers on Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Sky Q with Sky Ultimate TV are being given HBO Max Basic with Ads bundled into existing subscriptions from March 26 (ET), and they receive a full HBO Max account that can be used across compatible devices and upgraded through Sky billing. Warner Bros. Discovery positions the launch as bringing HBO’s back catalogue and newer productions into one app, and subscribers who activate standalone accounts will access that catalogue directly.
Sky bundle and deadlines — free apps, price change and sign-up window
Sky is adding Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu into its £22 Ultimate TV bundle at no extra cost for eligible customers, supplementing existing inclusions such as Netflix and discovery+. That combined value has been framed as a major enhancement to the Ultimate TV package, but Sky has announced that the package price will increase by £2 per month for new sign-ups starting April 1 (ET). Customers who sign up by March 31 (ET) can secure the current price and the added streaming apps at launch.
Pre-registration for HBO Max will open on the App Store and Google Play from March 12 (ET). TNT Sports is available as a separate add-on at £30. 99/month or as a standalone plan, and direct HBO Max subscriptions will be offered at multiple tiers when the service goes live. The Sky Ultimate TV deal automatically adds Disney+ Standard with Ads, HBO Max Basic with Ads and Hayu at launch for qualifying customers.
Immediate reactions and what subscribers should do next
“This marks a new era for Sky and NOW. In a world-first, we’re bringing together Sky, Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu into a single Sky TV subscription, ” said Sophia Ahmad, Chief Consumer Officer at Sky, underscoring the scale of the package change and the integration strategy.
For now tv customers, the immediate takeaway is to check account options once HBO Max goes live on March 26 (ET) and to consider activating a standalone HBO Max account if they need higher picture quality or more concurrent streams than the integrated NOW app offers. Those weighing Sky’s Ultimate TV bundle should note the March 31 (ET) sign-up cutoff to avoid the April 1 (ET) price increase and the automatic addition of the listed streaming apps at launch.
Next steps: expect communications from Sky, EE and NOW about activation windows and billing options in the run-up to March 26 (ET); subscribers deciding between integrated convenience and standalone access should prepare to choose when the apps and pre-registration windows open on March 12 (ET). For now tv users who want the full HBO Max app experience, activating the standalone account at launch will be the decisive action.
