HBO will let you stream its best shows for free, including Veep and The Sopranos

By Meira Gebel April 2, 2020

For the first time ever, more than 500 hours of HBO programming — including fan-favorites like Veep, The Sopranos, and The Wire — will be available to stream for free and without a subscription. The company’s #StayAtHomeBoxOffice campaign kicks off Friday.

In a press release, HBO said its decision was made “to provide some entertainment relief for those doing their part to keep everyone safe and healthy in this time of social isolation.”

Those interested can watch dozens of TV shows and movies just by downloading the HBO Now or HBO Go apps or by visiting HBONow.com or HBOGo.com.

In late March, the company announced HBO Now streaming jumped over 40% as more and more people across the U.S. were mandated to shelter in place due to the coronavirus pandemic, which has also shuttered movie theaters and stalled highly anticipated film releases like Wonder Woman 1984, The Matrix 4, and The Batman.

HBO joins the likes of other streaming giants like Amazon Prime Video, which currently offers viewers the option of “in-theater rentals” — movies released for at-home streaming while they are still showing in theaters — and Netflix, which created a $100 million fund to aid laid-off creative crew members who were previously working on sets across the globe before coronavirus led production to a halt.

Tony Soprano — HBO

Some of the titles available to stream for free on HBO include Warner Bros. films The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, The Bridges of Madison County, and Pokémon Detective Pikachu, as well as HBO original series like Six Feet Under, The Sopranos, and Silicon Valley. Ten docuseries will also be available for viewing and include: I Love You, Now Die: The Commonwealth vs. Michelle Carter, Jane Fonda in Five Acts, and True Justice: Bryan Stevenson’s Fight for Equality.

HBO plans to continue its #StayHomeBoxOffice campaign, encouraging people to self-isolate, and will coordinate programming “via participating distribution partners’ platforms in the coming days.”

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Meira Gebel is a freelance reporter based in Portland. She writes about tech, social media, and internet culture for Digital…

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