Why Isn’t HBO Max on Roku? And When Will Roku Be HBO Max Compatible?

HBO Max is finally here! WarnerMedia’s splashy new streaming service that adds the likes of Friends, Studio Ghibli, Looney Tunes, and the entire Harry Potter movie catalog to HBO’s already robust library has launched. But is HBO Max on Roku? Can you even get HBO Max on Roku? Or is there some reason why HBO Max isn’t on one of the most popular streaming devices out there? Is Roku not HBO Max compatible? WHAT IS GOING ON!?!?

While most HBO subscribers should be able to login to the service using their pre-existing credentials, one major HBO Now and HBO Go customer base is definitely having trouble this morning. That’s right: if you subscribe to HBO Now through Roku or use Roku as your primary streaming device, you might be running into problems getting your sweet Friends binge on this morning.

So what’s going on with HBO Max and Roku? Where is HBO Max on Roku? And when will HBO Max hit Roku? Here’s the deal with HBO Max and Roku…

CAN YOU GET HBO MAX ON ROKU?

As of right now, HBO Max is not available on Roku.

Here’s the deal: while HBO Max’s parent company AT&T Time Warner Media managed to secure a number of deals with various cable and broadband providers, Apple, GooglePlay, and Samsung ahead of HBO Max’s launch, they didn’t manage to broker a deal with Roku. That means that while your Apple TV-loving friend might have woken up with their HBO Now seamlessly updating to HBO Max, Roku users are out of luck. If you use HBO Go or HBO Now on Roku, you will not be able to access HBO Max on the streaming device quite yet.

Furthermore, where you subscribed to HBO Now might also be important.

If you previously subscribed to HBO Now directly through HBO, you should have no problem accessing HBO Max with your HBO Now login and password on any other supported device. Think via the HBO Max site or Apple TV app. However, if you purchased HBO Now via your Roku account, that means you still cannot access HBO Max with your HBO Now credentials. (If you did the latter and are impatient to binge Friends, our advice is to cancel your Roku-based HBO Now subscription and subscribe to HBO Max directly through HBO, but with an email account not associated with your Roku subscription. We know, it’s complicated and frustrating!)

WHEN WILL ROKU BE HBO MAX COMPATIBLE?

The good news is you might not have to wait long to access HBO Max on Roku. An HBO Max spokesperson confirmed to Decider last night that AT&T Time Warner is working as hard as possible behind-the-scenes to make the new service accessible to as many pre-existing customers as possible.