HBO Max Returns to Amazon Prime Video Channels, After Leaving in August 2021

David Zaslav and the new management team continue to reshape Warner Bros. Discovery following the spring merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery. Since the two companies became one, Zaslav has reversed many decisions implemented by the previous regime, nearly all of them focused on increasing revenue or cutting costs, regardless of any other factors. That continued on Tuesday as WBD and Amazon announced that HBO Max had returned to the Prime Video Channels in the United States.

When the streaming service first launched in May 2020, not only was it available as a stand-alone subscription, but it was also available through Amazon’s channels hub. However, after just six months on the platform, WarnerMedia decided to pull HBO Max from Prime Video channels in order to ensure that it received all of the subscription revenue and customer data collected from customers. As part of Prime Video channels, that money and information had to be shared.

So, when the streamer exited the Amazon hub in August 2021, it lost nearly 5 million subscribers, a significant blow to a still growing service. However, with the new WBD team in place, it became clear that a return to Prime Video was not only possible, but also fairly likely, as reports began to come out in July that a return was in the works.

“Warner Bros. Discovery is committed to making HBO Max available to as broad an audience as possible while also advancing our data-driven approach to understanding our customers and best serving their viewing interests,” WBD chief revenue and strategy officer Bruce Campbell said. “Today, we are thrilled to take an important step forward by announcing that HBO Max is returning to Prime Video Channels.”

Prime customers can now once again sign up for HBO Max for $14.99 per month. Subscribers will have access to 15,000 hours of curated premium content, as well as the expanded content offerings that will be available via the HBO Max-discovery+ combined streaming service — which will reportedly be called “Max” — when it launches next year.

“We strive to offer customers the best and widest selection of premium content available for their everyday viewing experience,” Prime Video VP Cem Sibay said. “It’s truly been a milestone year for Prime Video, and we are humbled by the viewer engagement and critics’ response to our marquee releases. Now with the addition of HBO Max again, customers can easily add this subscription and enjoy even more award-winning and fan favorite entertainment on Prime Video.”

At the time of its 2021 departure, the major sticking point for WarnerMedia was the ability to own the data that was collected by customers who used the streaming service via Amazon. Though, obviously, HBO Max had access to their subscribers’ basic information, by going through a third party, their larger viewing habits were hidden from WarnerMedia.

What’s changed since then though is Discovery’s merger with WarnerMedia, the former company having a much different philosophy than nearly everything that the latter did. The new company believes in getting the widest distribution possible, including with HBO Max’s sibling streamer discovery+, which was already available on Prime Video Channels. It will be interesting if this leads to HBO Max coming to Roku Premium Subscriptions or Apple TV Channels, both of which have carried it in the past.