Max to Offer Live Sports from Bleacher Report Add-On in Dolby Vision for All Subscribers
Max will be the first streaming service to offer live sports with Dolby Vision ahead of this weekend’s NBA All-Star Game.
This weekend’s NBA All-Star Game will be available to stream on Max, as are all sporting events being offered on Warner Bros. Discovery’s linear channels TNT and TBS. That’s not exactly new, as Max has been offering all live sports from those channels on its Bleacher Report add-on since October, but this week Max has announced it will allow viewers to watch live sports using the B/R add-on with Dolby Vision HDR imaging technology.
- Dolby Vision will be available to all Max subscribers using the Bleacher Report add-on, regardless of plan.
- Max becomes the first streamer to offer its live sports in Dolby Vision.
- Prime Video recently shifted the ability to watch content in Dolby Vision exclusively to its ad-free tier.
Why is Max Adding Dolby Vision for Live Sports?
Max is introducing Dolby Vision ahead of this week’s NBA All-Star Game to allow fans to watch that game with the best picture quality possible. It’s likely that WBD will be monitoring the results of the game and watching closely for large-scale glitches, as the company will want to ensure Dolby Vision technology is working perfectly when the 2024 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament begins in March. March Madness games air on TNT, TBS, and truTV, and will stream on Max as well.
Customers of every Max plan will be able to enjoy the addition of Dolby Vision, as Max is not restricting it to its highest-priced Ultimate tier. Max subscribers have to be signed up for the Ultimate tier if they want to stream select titles in 4K, or if they want to watch with Dolby Atmos sound. The B/R sports add-on will eventually cost $9.99 per month; Max originally planned to start charging for the add-on at the end of February, but in January announced that subscribers wouldn't have to pay to watch it for “several months.”
Dolby Vision adds another layer to the High Dynamic Range technology which many streamers use to improve video quality. According to Dolby, Dolby Vision “empowers visual creatives to add greater depth, incredible contrast, and more colors than you dreamed possible to the movies, TV shows, and games you love.”
“We know how crucial it is for sports fans to have a top-notch live video player experience so they can truly engage with the action,” said Sudheer Sirivara, EVP of Global Technology, Warner Bros. Discovery. “We’re excited to launch this industry-first feature and bring fans even closer to the game.”
What Sports Are Available on the B/R Add-On?
The Bleacher Report add-on carries every sporting event airing on TBS, TNT, or truTV. Regular season games from the NBA and NHL are available with the add-on, and soon TBS’s MLB slate will join them. Soccer games from the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National teams are also found on the B/R platform, and it will host every March Madness tournament game appearing on WBD channels this year.
Starting in 2025, Turner channels will begin hosting NASCAR Cup Series races, which means they’ll stream on Max as well. Max carries a huge variety of live sports rights, and they’ll all become available on a new streaming platform launching this fall which will carry sports from WBD, Disney and Fox.
Max fans will enjoy having Dolby Vision available on the B/R add-on to all subscription tiers, particularly in light of the news from Prime Video this week. That streamer has announced that customers won’t be able to watch any on-demand titles in Dolby Vision unless they upgrade to its ad-free plan ($12.98 per month). Viewers of Max don’t have to stress about which tier they have, however; all Max subscribers using the Bleacher Report add-on will see sports in Dolby Vision on compatible devices starting this week.
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.