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How to Watch HBO Max With a NOW Membership in the UK
Short answer: if you have NOW Entertainment, HBO Max is already included. Since HBO Max launched in the UK and Ireland on 26 March 2026, NOW Entertainment members have been moved to a NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership, with HBO Max built into the NOW app. Watch HBO shows in the NOW app, not the separate HBO Max app.
What each NOW membership covers
NOW Entertainment & HBO Max. Sky Originals and Exclusives plus HBO Max Basic with Ads, all inside the NOW app. Existing members were switched over automatically with nothing to do. New customers paid from £6.99 a month at launch.
NOW Entertainment. A cheaper plan, from £4.99 a month at launch, with Sky shows and returning HBO series but without HBO Max. HBO Max exclusives, such as the new Harry Potter series, need the HBO Max bundle.
NOW Cinema. Sky Cinema films. It's a separate membership, not part of NOW Entertainment.
Prices change, so check NOW's own site before you sign up.
Which app to open
Open the NOW app. HBO Max is integrated into it, so HBO series and films sit alongside Sky's own shows with no extra sign-in. The standalone HBO Max app is a separate account, and as a NOW member you may be asked to activate or sign in again before it works. On Apple TV, a phone or a smart TV, the NOW app is the simplest route.
Why streaming guides get this wrong
Most where-to-watch data lists HBO Max as its own service, and treats Sky's catalogue as something you rent or buy. So a guide can tell a NOW member that a show is "on HBO Max" and send them to an app they can't use, or list a Sky show as pay-per-view when it's included in what they already pay for. That's exactly what happened to one of our users.
What we changed after a user told us
In early October 2026 a GuideStream TV user in the UK wrote in from their Apple TV. HBO Max, Sky Cinema and Sky Entertainment, they pointed out, all live inside NOW, not in separate apps. They were right, and our app was sending NOW members to the HBO Max app.
We fixed it in two places. For viewers in the UK and Ireland who have NOW in their services, HBO series and Sky titles now show as available on NOW, and the Watch button takes you to NOW instead of HBO Max. And the Apple TV app gained a way to open the NOW app, which it couldn't do before. The routing change went live within days, and the Apple TV update followed.
How to set it up in GuideStream TV
1. Add NOW to your services. Open your streaming services in GuideStream, select NOW and save.
2. Open an HBO series. Game of Thrones, for example, now shows NOW as where you can watch it.
3. Press Watch. GuideStream opens NOW. On Apple TV, if the NOW app isn't installed yet, you land on its App Store page to get it. For some HBO titles NOW opens to its home screen rather than the show itself, so search for the title there.
Questions
Is HBO Max included with NOW?
Yes, with the NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership. Since 26 March 2026, existing NOW Entertainment members have been moved to it automatically, with HBO Max Basic with Ads built into the NOW app.
Should I watch HBO shows in the NOW app or the HBO Max app?
The NOW app. HBO Max is integrated there, so there is nothing extra to sign in to. The standalone HBO Max app is a separate account.
Is Sky Cinema part of NOW Entertainment?
No. Sky Cinema films come with a separate NOW Cinema membership. NOW Entertainment covers Sky Originals, Sky Exclusives and HBO series.
Does the cheaper NOW Entertainment plan include HBO Max?
No. The NOW Entertainment plan without HBO Max keeps Sky shows and returning HBO series, but HBO Max exclusives need the NOW Entertainment & HBO Max membership.
Does GuideStream TV show HBO shows as available on NOW?
Yes. In the UK and Ireland, add NOW to your services and HBO series and Sky titles show as available on NOW, with a Watch button that takes you to NOW.
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