HBO Max has partnered with Snapchat to bring award-winning TV shows to Snapchatters in a unique co-viewing experience. Snapchat’s Snap Minis platform allows Snapchatters to watch shared content together. Now, pilot episodes of select HBO Max shows are available to stream for free within Snap Minis.
To access full episodes of HBO Max shows on Snapchat, Snapchatters can tap the rocket icon or search within the app. Snapchatters can then invite up to 63 Snapchatters to watch pilot episodes with them. Invitations can be sent via Chat or with a clickable sticker that users can add to their photos taken with the Snapchat camera.
Once Snapchatters join the mini, the episode is played in sync for everyone in the group. Snapchatters have the option to chat while they watch the episode together too.
In the Snapchat app, users must enter their age to access age-appropriate shows. At launch, users will be able to watch pilot episodes of the following shows:
- Craftopia
- Euphoria
- The Flight Attendant
- Game of Thrones
- Genera+ion
- Gossip Girl
- Looney Tunes
- Love Life
- Lovecraft Country
- Selena + Chef
- Titans
- Warrior
- World of Calm
- Betty (Season 2, Episode 1)
“People love to come together to watch their favorite HBO Max shows and talk about what’s unfolding. Our partnership with Snapchat is another step towards fulfilling that desire for human connection and providing our fans with co-viewing opportunities, while deepening their emotional relationship with the brand,” said Sarah Lyons, EVP, DTC Global Product Management, HBO Max. “We believe humans value recommendations that come from other humans, so having the opportunity for friends to suggest, and then subsequently watch content together paves the way for more meaningful discovery.”
“We’re excited to partner with HBO Max to offer our community an innovative co-viewing experience inside of Snapchat,” said Alston Cheek, Director of Platform Partnerships at Snap, Inc. “Snap Minis offer an exciting new way for HBO Max to create social experiences for fans of its programming, complementing our incredible Snap Originals and partnered content available on Discover. The Mini is easy to use, and instantly brings friends together to watch their favorite titles and discover new shows for free.”
Additional shows and episodes will become available regularly. Snap Minis is accessible within the Snapchat app on both iOS and Android devices. After watching pilot episodes on Snapchat, users will have the option to subscribe to HBO Max to watch additional content.
Since the introduction of the Snapchat partnership, HBO Max has expanded the program, offering potential new subscribers in the United States the opportunity to watch select episodes of some of the platform’s most popular programming in the HBO Max app before they sign up.
The free experience will initially include 13 episodes of HBO and Max Originals, with new titles being rotated in and out of the collection periodically.
Pilot episodes being presented initially include:
- Batwoman
- Euphoria
- Game of Thrones
- Harley Quinn
- Lovecraft Country
- Love Life
- Perry Mason
- Raised By Wolves
- The Flight Attendant
- Titans
- Veneno
- Warrior
- plus season 2, episode 1 of Doom Patrol
This latest product feature also allows users to browse the entire HBO Max catalog of programming across the service in-app, and offers straightforward distinctions around which episodes can be viewed without a subscription and which ones are available after signing up.