Max — the streaming service born from the merger of Warner Bros. and Discovery — is adding a live sports tier. That in and of itself isn’t much of a surprise — HBO Max had a little bit of live sports, even though it didn’t make a big deal of it.
But this is new, and it’s a bigger deal, powered by Bleacher Report, which has been part of the Warner Bros. family since it was picked up by Turner Sports in 2012. (If you’ve watched CNN or the defunct Headline News, you’ve likely seen Bleacher Report reporting.)
That’s how we got here. This is where we’re going: Starting October 5 — just a week or so after CNN Max makes its debut on Max — Bleacher Report Sports will be available as an add-on package to Max and will include MLB, NHL, NBA, the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament, and U.S. national soccer events on the live side of things. There also will be shows such as The Match and Inside the NBA, among others.
The add-on tier will be free through February 29, 2024, and $10 a month after that.
“We’re thrilled to offer WBD’s incredible portfolio of premium U.S. live sports … as part of B/R Sports Add-On’s wide assortment of compelling multisport content on Max,” JB Perrette, CEO and president of Global Streaming and Games, said in a press release. “The greatest collection of entertainment, news and now sports all in one place — this makes Max the most complete streaming service for consumers.”
Max has all sorts of live sports teed up for the launch this fall, including the MLB National League Division Series and Championship Series, more than five dozen regular-season NBA and NHL games, the inaugural 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament, the NHL Winter Classic, and more.
The addition of the B/R Sports add-on puts Max in the same conversation as ESPN+ — which has a wealth of live sports across the board — and Apple TV+, which has the exclusive on MLS Season Pass, and also has exclusive MLB games on Friday nights.
Without the sports add-on, Max starts at $10 a month if you don’t mind advertising in the on-demand content, hits $16 a month if you want to go ad-free, and is $20 a month if you want things in 4K resolution.
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