There’s no doubt that “The Last of Us” has been an unqualified success for HBO and HBO Max. The show was officially renewed for a second season on Jan. 27, after two weeks in a row of breaking viewership records across linear and streaming platforms.
HBO Max’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery apparently wants to do whatever it can to capitalize on the success of the series. The debut episode of “The Last of Us” is available to watch now for free on the HBO Max website.
Users won’t have to enter an email address to begin watching, but they will see several on-screen prompts with links to create their own account while viewing. HBO Max is offering the ad-free version of the episode as an extra bit of enticement for potential new users.
The Last of Us
Twenty years after modern civilization has been destroyed, Joel, a hardened survivor, is hired to smuggle Ellie, a 14-year-old girl, out of an oppressive quarantine zone. What starts as a small job soon becomes a brutal, heartbreaking journey, as they both must traverse the United States and depend on each other for survival.
Streamers have shown themselves quite willing to offer free episodes of popular shows lately. At the end of December, Paramount+put the first episode of its “Yellowstone” prequel series “1923” onto YouTube for free for a limited time. Disney+ has used similar methods to promote series like “Andor” and “The Santa Clauses” by airing them on other Disney-owned outlets including Hulu, ABC, FX, and others.
Offering the first episodes of new, hit series is a fantastic way for streamers to lure users who may have been wary of their service, for whatever reason. By bypassing YouTube and hosting its free offering of “The Last of Us” on its own website, HBO Max has the added advantage of putting several buy links on the same page, and not losing potential new customers to the friction of having to click to a new website to sign up.
If there are users who are looking for more reasons to sign up to HBO Max now, locking it in at its current price point could be a compelling one. HBO Max is set to combine with WBD’s other streaming service discovery+ sometime this spring. When that happens, it is sure to be accompanied by a price increase for the new service, which will most likely be called “Max.” Users who sign up for an annual plan now can skip that price jump until next year.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.