Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Guides

Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

How to get HBO for free

Michael Archambault
By

HBO remains one of the titans of the entertainment industry, and with shows such as The Wire, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, Watchmen, and more, under its belt, it’s easy to see why that’s the case. If you’re itching to watching HBO but don’t have the money, it can be frustrating. But what if we told you that you could get HBO for free? Whether you want to binge-watch a single series or catch up on a blockbuster film, we’ll show you how to get HBO for free using a bit of ingenuity.

Take advantage of HBO trials

Wonder Woman 1984 on HBO Max
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Trials are designed to get you hooked, but if you’re looking to binge-watch a show or gain access to a few films, you may only need the 30-day trial period to satiate your craving. You can find trials for HBO at the source, HBO.com, or via other streaming services. Trial availability tends to change over time, but we found that both Hulu and Amazon Prime seemed to offer ongoing trials to the service’s content. Just remember that many trials will bill your credit card once they end, so put a reminder on your calendar to cancel before that date if you don’t wish to continue your subscription.

Recommended Videos

Give your cable provider a call

Your cable provider might be able to hook you up with a free trial of HBO or HBO Max, and you don’t need to play any tricks. Many cable and satellite TV providers have HBO trials on-hand, as the service is so popular that customers regularly look to sample it. The key to calling your cable provider is to be honest and ask if any HBO trials are available because you want to try the service; this is a great time to remember that old saying your mother told you — you catch more flies with honey than vinegar.

Related

Another tactic with cable providers is to say that another competing service offers HBO with their package at a lower price; your provider may decide to match the competition. If they can’t provide you with a trial period of HBO, don’t fret, as we still have other methods to try and obtain your favorite shows and movies for free.

Visit HBO’s website for free shows

Kaley Cuoco in The Flight Attendant, on HBO
Image used with permission by copyright holder

This may come as a surprise, but HBO’s website offers select episodes of shows to watch for no cost. For the most part, the first few episodes will be available. While HBO’s website isn’t likely to get you through an entire show, it’s a great way to see if signing up for a full HBO subscription is worth it. Test out those shows your friends keep telling you about to see if HBO is right for you.

Free access with AT&T and DirecTV

AT&T Store
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Warner Media, the company that owns HBO, is in turn owned by AT&T. Due to the close ownership of these three companies, AT&T will typically offer HBO as a free or discounted service to its customers. If you are an AT&T Unlimited Elite customer, HBO Max is included with your subscription. Additionally, DirecTV is owned by AT&T, so users signing up for their Choice or Ultimate packages will receive a year of HBO Max for no cost. If you’re already a member of one of these services, you may have access to HBO without even knowing it.

Convince friends to share that password

Sharing passwords for streaming services isn’t exactly secret, and it might be your ticket to gaining access to HBO at no cost. Check with friends and family who have streaming services to see if someone might be willing to give you their login information. Even better, perhaps you can trade services, such as providing a friend or family member access to Netflix (although the streamer is reportedly cracking down on password sharing) in exchange for HBO.  Sometimes, it is about who you know.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Michael Archambault
Michael Archambault
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Michael Archambault is a technology writer and digital marketer located in Long Island, New York. For the past decade…
The 10 most popular shows on Max right now
The cast of Gangs of London.

For the second week in a row, the Max original animated series, Adventure Time: Fionna & Cake, is on top of the ten most popular shows on Max. And while Harley Quinn and Hard Knocks have fallen out of the top ten, most of this list remains intact from the previous week. As before, the AMC+ shows on loan to Max are outperforming most of the other series on Max. Now that Gangs of New York has earned a place on the list, it has become the fifth AMC+ series to do so. The other four are Killing Eve, Fear the Walking Dead, Interview with the Vampire, and A Discovery of Witches. This makes us wonder what this list will look like at the end of October when all of these shows return to AMC+.

It's also worth noting that this week's No. 2 show, Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty, is still performing well less than a week after its abrupt cancellation. If Winning Time has this kind of sustained popularity then perhaps it was a mistake for HBO to pass on a renewal. We'll see how the show performs next week with no more new episodes. But for today, September 22, these are the 10 most popular shows on Max right now.

Read more
How to watch boxing online: Stream every fight
how to watch fury vs wilder 3 live stream online deontay v tyson

Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce meet for the second time this weekend. Joyce is hoping to recover from the massive upset loss Zhang gave him in their first meeting, when Zhang pummeled Joyce's eye with straight rights until the doctor recommended stopping the fight. Below we have the details of every major boxing streaming service, but if Zhang vs. Joyce II is all you care about, you can head straight to ESPN+ for a subscription and watch the fight there on Saturday.

If you're new to boxing and want to catch all the bouts from the biggest stars in the sport, we can help you find the best and cheapest ways to watch boxing online. It can get complicated. Fighters are tied to specific promoters who are tied to specific streaming sites. The days of Friday night fights on network TV are long gone.

Read more
The best new shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, Max (HBO), and more
A man in a suit with his hands up, others pointing guns at him in a scene from The Continental: From the World of John Wick.

This week offers a great example of why having multiple streaming subscriptions is a good idea. Because some of the best new shows to stream are all over the place. If you love action, Peacock's The Continental: From the World of John Wick brings some of that John Wick flavor to TV. Horror fans will naturally gravitate towards the new season of American Horror Story on Hulu. As for comedy fans, Netflix is bringing the laughs with the fourth and final season of Sex Education.

Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, Max, Apple TV+, Disney+, Paramount+, and Peacock will keep you swimming in new shows, especially if you've taken the drastic step of subscribing to all of them. If you want to save some money, go for the cheaper ad-supported tiers. But whichever way you prefer to go, we've got you covered with our weekly roundup of the best new shows to stream.
When you're done here, check out the best new movies to stream this week, as well as the best shows on Netflix, best shows on Hulu, best shows on Amazon Prime Video, and best shows on Disney+.

Read more