Max Hoping to Finally Charge for Sports Tier Next Month, but There Are Roadblocks
Customers of the service could lose free access to NBA, NHL and MLB games later this month.
The free ride could be nearing its end, Max subscribers. When the Warner Bros. Discovery streaming service introduced the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On in October 2023, it gave audiences a brand-new way to stream the NBA, NHL, MLB, and other sports games appearing on TBS, TNT, and truTV without a pay-TV subscription. Initially, the company planned to charge customers an extra $10 per month for the sports tier beginning in March 2024, but opted not to due to technical issues. Now, according to a report from Bloomberg that could be about to change.
Key Details:
- Bloomberg reports that WBD might start charging for the B/R add-on as soon as the end of September.
- The original plan was to start charging for the B/R hub in February, but that date was pushed indefinitely in January.
- WBD has added several new live sports properties in recent months, though it still stands a good chance of losing the NBA.
Max customers may have to start paying to watch the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On as soon as the end of September, according to Bloomberg. The original plan as laid out by the company when it launched the sports hub was to begin charging for it on Feb. 29, 2024, just ahead of the start of NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament broadcasts on the company’s Turner Networks.
But in early January, WBD shifted gears, pledging to hold off on its plan to start charging for the B/R tier for at least another few months. Bloomberg says that the reason for the continued delays is that “negotiating for the rights with all of its partners has been a challenge.”
The report also says that it’s possible that the add-on could continue to be free for an undetermined period if negotiations continue to drag. However, it almost assuredly will not stay free forever; like all media companies that operate linear television channels, WBD is dealing with declining revenue as cable viewership continues to fall. This means that WBD needs its streaming platforms to help pick up the slack financially.
Unless WBD wins a lawsuit against the NBA to keep pro basketball rights past 2024-25, this is the last season that TNT will broadcast live NBA games. It may be difficult to convince Max subscribers to pay $10 extra per month to watch the B/R Add-On without the NBA.
WBD has made other sports additions in recent months to potentially offset the loss of NBA rights. The company has added Mountain West football, sublicensed a package of College Football Playoff games from ESPN, scooped up a parcel of Big East basketball games starting in 2025, and made a deal to broadcast the French Open tennis tournament for the next 10 years.
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.