If you never heard of HBO Max, you’ve done a really good job of getting off the grid and severing ties with all forms of modern entertainment… And then you still got hooked on Game of Thrones somehow.

Initially a cable network owned by WarnerMedia Entertainment, HBO was doing what the streaming platforms of today are doing back when Netflix was still figuring out how to fit a DVD into an envelope. Premium pay television with original content. Those were the days.

But it’s not the seventies anymore, kids.

HBO has long since stopped being just a cable network provider. It has burst onto the streaming scene with some of the best, exclusive, and high-brow platforms [probably even too many].

And its latest addition to the ever-growing HBO family is HBO Max. With a titillating tagline:

‘Where HBO meets so much more‘

Or, as everyone that already has a subscription puts it: the hottest, most unique, exclusive, and we-are-so-much-better-than-you streaming service to ever grace the earth.

But what exactly is HBO Max? And how is it different from all of the other HBO platforms?

But most importantly, shut up and take my money?

HBO Max: The HBO streaming platform to rule them all

It doesn’t really matter who you are, where you live, and what kind of content you’re into, you definitely know what HBO is. Chances are, you might even have your own flavor of HBO in your neck of the woods.

The confusing thing is all the different HBO platforms, apps, on-demand, and over-the-top services. It seems that HBO executives launch a new one every other week, always going with a trusty name of ‘HBO [Cool random word out of a hat]‘. Even the Wikipedia page comes with several ‘Do not confuse with‘ warnings.

Throughout the years we’ve had HBO HD, HBO on Demand, HBO Go, HBO Now… In some countries, one of those is still a thing, and the only way fans can get their hand on some sweet-sweet dragon on dragon action.

But now there’s HBO Max. The new HBO to rule them all (until they inevitably roll out the next thing).

But HBO Max is not just another HBO brand name, it’s the platform set to rival the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, and Prime Video. But unlike those, HBO Max doesn’t only fight for TV rights and throw in an occasional mind-blowing original or production into the mix, it’s actually determined to change home-streaming once and for all.

Typical HBO… revolutionizing the way we view media again… Ugh.

So, what exactly does HBO Max have, that none of the other streaming platforms do?

Series

HBO has always been a pioneer in the entertainment industry, being one of the first channels to completely change its approach to TV series. What was once an overlooked medium of entertainment filled with B-list actors has now transformed into serious, million-dollar-budget productions.

And these days HBO is still at the top of its game, producing some of the most awesome shows your hipster friends just won’t shut up about. Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney Plus might be feeding you really buttery popcorn, but HBO is still a steak dinner at a fancy restaurant.

And HBO Max is here to serve you!

HBO and Max Originals

So let’s start with the big guns right off the bat. Game of Thrones. Regardless of how badly that last season scarred you, for years GoT was one of the best things to ever happen to TV, and it’s still worth a rewatch if only to go “Wow, I forgot about that”, every couple of episodes.

Nana-nananana-nananana-nanana. ‘Nough said.

Oh, and speaking of dragons… HBO is spinning it off with House of the Dragon. The prequel (?) series has some massive shoes to fill and is said to drop in early 2022 on… you guessed it, HBO Max.

Personally, we could not be more pumped and are already rewatching all 8 seasons of GoT in anticipation.

However, dragons, drama, a sadistic disregard for all of your favorite characters, and weird incest love stories can only get you that far [even though, let’s face it, with a pitch like that it’s pretty darn far]. HBO Max has all of the HBO and its own Max originals. What are those? – Those are all of the shows you’ve been dying to watch, but couldn’t find anywhere else.

For all of you nostalgia nuts out there, HBO Max features nearly 30 years of original HBO shows and then some. It has become the new, cozy, purple home for The Sopranos [speaking of shows that couldn’t stick the landing after an amazing performance], Six Feet Under [our personal favorite], Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Wire,  Entourage, Deadwood, and so much more.

Been there, done that? Well, it’s not like HBO Max doesn’t have something more current to offer.

Euphoria, the critically acclaimed Mare of Easttown, The Flight Attendant, Big Little Lies, Raised by Wolves, The Undoing, True Detective, Chernobyl, Westworld, the Gossip Girl Reboot – just a few of the dozens of originals you can stop watching YouTube compilations of.

Too heavy?

HBO Max has got your back with Titans, Doom Patrol, and Watchmen for all of you DC fans out there. Silicon Valley will have you in stitches for 6 flawless seasons, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Friends Reunions will force you to contemplate how old you are relive the shows you loved growing up.

Other series

And those are just the originals. HBO Max has definitely come to play and is doing its best to get the right to some of the best shows, series, and animation out there, including The West Wing, Black Dynamite, The Boondocks, South Park, and more, and more, and so much more.

Look, we can keep going for days. It’s HBO. Do we really need to prove a point?

Movies

So HBO Max knocking its series collection out of the park is kind of a no-brainer. But can its movie selection land it a ‘Netflix&Chill‘-style catchphrase?

Well, we wouldn’t want to overhype you guys, but yes, definitely. So get on that catchphrase.

Just like the series, HBO Max has a bunch of original HBO and Max movies to share. Those might be less known than the shows, but they all have that HBO Max aura about them.

We’re talking Charm City Kings, Fahrenheit 451, I Am Evidence, Longford, And the Band Played On, and about as many others, as you can handle.

On top of the many originals, HBO Max has been rapidly and aggressively expanding its movie library to change the tide of the streaming wars.

Incredible blockbuster franchises, such as Planet of the Apes, the original Jurassic Park movies, all of the Harry Potter films, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight, and the Wachowski sister’s Matrix movies.

Not to mention, HBO Max has exclusive rights to stream everything produced by WanrerMedia. And you know what that means… DC movies!

Both of the Suicide Squads, Birds of Prey, Shazam, Aquaman, Wonder Woman and Wonder Woman 1984, everything else. Hey, HBO Max made the Snyder Cut happen, and every true DC fanboy owes it.

Step aside, Marvel. You’ve got Disney Plus. We’ve got HBO Max.

Theatre at home

So what’s so revolutionary about all of that, right?

All of the streaming platforms have the right to something cool, and exciting. Heck, if you know how, you can get pretty much anything on regular old Netflix [except for the HBO originals, never the HBO originals].

So what makes HBO Max as unique as we say it is?

Well, if there was anything positive to come out of 2020, it’s definitely the knowledge, that if there is something coming out in theatres, it might as well be streamed from the comfort of your own home. We’ll bring our own $15 small popcorn, thank you very much.

And we have HBO Max to thank for that!

Thanks to a special kind of friendship HBO Max has with WanrerMedia Entertainment, all of the films WarnerBros is set to release will come out both in theatres and on HBO Max the very same day! How awesome is that?!

We’ve already streamed Mortal Kombat, Godzilla vs Kong, WW 84, the second and superior Suicide Squad.

And we are yet to feast our greedy little eyes on Dune, the new Matrix movie, Malignant, King Richard. And that’s just 2021.

An exclusive movie premiere from the comfort of your most comfortable couch. [Red carpet not included]

OK, so why aren’t we watching HBO Max right now?

We’ve all been there. You get stranded on a desert island with impeccable WiFi, and all you can do to pass the time is talk to Wilson watch Hard Knocks in its entirety again.

Or, and this might be a bit of a stretch, you might live in a country different than the US.

But as soon as you try to go log into the platform, you’ll be treated with this unholy message: “Sorry, HBO Max isn’t available in your region yet“.

Yeah, as unfair as that is, HBO Max is exclusive to the United States and several other select countries in the Americas. Which means entire continents are cut off from its streaming awesomeness. And it’s not just that, as soon as you dare venture off outside your home country, you will no longer be able to access the platform, even if you’re still paying for it – that’s how exclusive it is.

Somehow, that just doesn’t seem fair. Ever since HBO Max launched, people have been clamoring for it in their countries. And if most could at least watch the Snyder Cut on some local HBO streaming option [just in case people rioted… again], most movies, series, and all of the new releases are exclusive to HBO Max.

But we didn’t drag you through so many words to leave you hanging. We actually know how you can get HBO Max from wherever you are!

What are you going to need?

Let’s get one thing straight – geo-restrictions suck… but there is a way to get past them.

So even though HBO Max is exclusive to the States and a few other places, there’s still a way to get it right here, right now, and it will take you about 30 minutes of tinkering.

We’d say that’s a small price to pay for 10.000 hours of premium content.

If you want a piece of that sweet, sweet, oh so sweet HBO Max streaming experience, you need to get two things sorted:

• You need to be able to bypass the geographical restrictions that block you from accessing the platform;
• You have to find a way to subscribe to HBO Max, which only accepts US-issued payment methods.

This might sound complicated, but we promise it’s not. And we will hold your hand every step of the way.

Shall we?

Sneaking past HBO Max’s geo-restrictions

The first thing you are going to need is a way to trick the platform into thinking you’re in a country HBO Max has already deemed worthy of its awesomeness. [It’s the US, ok?!]

And there is but one way to do that [if applying for a green card, moving, and starting a new life solely for HBO Max is absolutely out of the question] – that’s a VPN.

But just about any VPN won’t cut it. You see, HBO is exclusive, and it’s determined to stay that way. This is why it’s working really hard to not take your money and keep all the VPN users out with some of the toughest blocks in the streaming business.

So here’s the absolute, barest of minimums you are going to need to even get to the title screen:

• A vast network of servers in the US, so you always have the best options to access the platform;
• Streaming unblocking capabilities [duh] that will make HBO Max open its shiny doors to you;
• Servers optimized for streaming and fast speeds, so you will be able to watch all of the HBO Max movies and series as they were intended, and not turn it into a pixelated nightmare;
• Multiple platform support, because once you get hooked, you won’t be able to put HBO Max down for a second.

So if it’s still not clear, free VPNs won’t even make a dent in HBO Max’s firewalls. If you know one – do share, we’re dying to see how fast it will get blocked and forced to revert back to selling user information.

The single best VPN for HBO Max

Now that you’ve had the chance to test out all of the free VPNs that still didn’t work, and came crawling back to us [hey, we don’t judge], we might as well let you know which VPN is definitely the best option for streaming HBO Max.

That one’s easy: it’s NordVPN.

And here are just a few reasons why:

• With over 1970 servers in the US alone, NordVPN has been practically made for streaming some quality content from streaming platforms everyone wants, but only the US has.
• NordVPN’s signature SmartPlay feature combines the best of  VPN and Smart DNS technology for easy, seamless, nearly automatic streaming platform unblocking.
• It’s one of the fastest providers in the VPN biz, which means you will be streaming everything HBO Max has to offer in perfect quality wherever you are.
• HBO Max might be working hard to keep VPNs out, but NordVPN’s obfuscation technology stays ahead of the game, making sure you will always have easy access to the most elite streaming platform there is.

But sure, you might be as non-mainstream as HBO Max itself and don’t want to go with the leading VPN just cause.

Don’t worry, we’re nothing if not thorough. Here’s are all the other VPNs that can handle, unblock and stream HBO’s epicness.

Surfshark

When it comes to unblocking streaming services, no one does it quite as well as Surfshark. [Except for our №1 pick, of course]

Here’s why it’s our second best VPN of choice for HBO Max. And why it will soon be yours as well:

• 500 strong, stable and extremely fast servers in the US give you plenty of options for connecting and streaming.
• Other VPNs may have pioneered streaming unblocking, but Surfshark perfected it. There’s isn’t a streamings service out there that can withstand this provider’s bite, and HBO Max is no exception.
• It was the first VPN to introduce obfuscation to its servers, keeping you nice and hidden from any and all firewalls.
• Surfshark has an app for nearly every device out there, and it has unlimited device support. So you will be able to stream HBO Max as much as you want, on whatever you want.
• Last but certainly not least, Surfshark comes at a very affordable price. So there is no excuse for not getting it.

ExpressVPN

When you have ‘express‘ in the name of your VPN, you’d better deliver. And ExpressVPN sure does.

ExpressVPN may have started focusing on security and privacy more as of late, but that definitely doesn’t mean it can’t stream. How can it? It has all of this going for it:

• With dozens of extremely fast servers in the US, all of which have all of ExpressVPN’s exclusive features, it’s still one of the best providers for unblocking streaming services.
• ExpressVPN really lives up to the name as one of the fastest VPNs. This means you will be able to enjoy all your favorite HBO shows in perfect quality, just like the streaming gods intended. 
• ExpressVPN is constantly rolling out new and exciting features, making it one of the most cutting-edge VPN providers out there.

The only downside of ExpressVPN is its price. But when you’re paying more, you know you’re getting something good.

But you still have to pay for it…

If it was only about bypassing geo-blocks and local restrictions, all of us would have been already swimming in HBO Max. But there’s still one bump in the road to streaming perfection, and that’s actually paying for your HBO Max subscription.

See, HBO Max decide to pull a fast one, and only accepts US-issued payment methods. And no matter how good you are at bypassing blocks with your fancy VPN, you still might not be able to enjoy any streaming if you can’t pay for it.

OK, HBO, challenge accepted.

No need to go demanding refunds and taking to Reddit [you’ll get your chance]. What you need is US Unlocked.

This one of a kind service lets you get an awesome virtual prepaid American bank card, that works just as well with HBO Max, as pretty much any other streaming service and store [heck, you can get a triple soy mocha latte, whatever that is, at Starbucks with it].

Simply register with the services, top it off with the appropriate amount (HBO Max has two subscription plans: $9.99 with ads and $14.99 without ads per month). And that’s it.

Take that, HBO Max!

The most exclusive streaming platform – Unblocked!

If you live outside of the US, if you’re traveling, studying, or working abroad, it’s really easy to get left out of the HBO Max cool kids club. But this is the internet, and you don’t have to make an entirely new internet [ha, HBO’s own Silicon Valley reference!] to bypass those nasty restrictions.

With a little help from a reliable VPN and US Unlocked, you’ll be the one bragging about how awesome HBO Max is in no time!

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