Cricket Wireless adds ad-supported HBO Max to $60 per month unlimited plan
A new perk for AT&T's prepaid service.
Cricket Wireless, the prepaid service from AT&T, is announcing a new perk on Thursday for those with its $60-per-month unlimited plan: a free subscription to the ad-supported version of HBO Max.
Normally $10 per month, this version of HBO Max includes HBO and the service's new Max originals such as The Flight Attendant, Gossip Girl and Titans but lacks 4K HDR and the ability to download videos for offline viewing. It also does not include access to new theatrical Warner Bros. movies like The Suicide Squad and Reminiscence.
Those looking for those features, as well as no ads, will need to spring for the $15-per-month ad-free version of HBO Max. Cricket is not offering to subsidize the higher-end option, so if you want that version you'd need to pay the full $15 per month, not just the $5 difference.
The deal will be available starting Friday, Aug. 20, to both new and existing Cricket subscribers. If you already have the proper plan you should be able to start logging in with your Cricket information on Friday.
It should be noted that as with similar offers from rival carriers, it's one HBO Max subscription per account, not per line.
As streaming services multiply, content bundling has increasingly become common on pricier unlimited plans from telecom providers. AT&T offers the ad-free version of HBO Max with its priciest Unlimited Elite plan while Verizon offers a Disney Bundle (Disney Plus, Hulu and ESPN Plus) and T-Mobile offers Netflix with each of their respective top two unlimited plans.
In the prepaid market, Cricket-rival Metro by T-Mobile offers 100GB of Google One storage with its $50 and $60 per month unlimited plans, with the latter also including a subscription to Amazon Prime.
Smaller wireless providers have also joined in on the action. US Mobile, which runs on T-Mobile and Verizon's networks, allows those with three unlimited lines ($25 per line, per month) to choose a free subscription that it will cover, or two subscriptions if you have four or more lines. Options range from the Disney Bundle, HBO Max and Netflix Standard to Spotify or Apple Music family plans, PlayStation Plus or Xbox Live Gold. Those with four or more lines can select a second perk that the provider will cover.