AT&T's data plans are unlimited for HBO Max, not so for Disney+ or Netflix
Call it net neutrality issue, call it nepotism, but that love child of AT&T and Time Warner - HBO Max - will be exempt from data caps and throttling on, you guessed it... AT&T. Thus, if your unlimited data plan with HBO Max included hits the soft ceiling, that won't be because you have been streaming like crazy, and your service won't be affected.
That same offer isn't valid for, say, Netflix or Disney+, leaving us to wonder whether the "sponsored" data program of AT&T isn't just a fig leaf for the preference it gives to its own kit of streamers.
According to Tony Goncalves from AT&T, who oversees the HBO Max push: "The network is the plumbing, and the content is the water. And you’re seeing water and the plumbing kind of coming together."
While this is all dine and dandy from a business standpoint, as AT&T is basically paying itself when it credits the HBO Max data consumption in your monthly bill, some proponents of net neutrality predicted that this will be exactly the thing that will happen if AT&T is allowed to merge with Time Warner. Here's how HBO Max stacks up against the direct competition of Netflix or Disney+ in this golden age of content streaming.
- HBO Max subscription price: $14.99 monthly
- HBO Max movies and TV shows count: all of HBO and Warner, plus 10,000 hours of new content
HBO Max vs Netflix, Disney Plus, Hulu, Amazon Prime and Apple TV subscription plan prices
| Streaming service | Monthly price |
|---|---|
| Apple TV+ | $4.99, free for a year with an iPhone or iPad purchase, up to 6 family members can use one subscription, free for students who subscriber for Apple Music |
| Netflix | $9 (Basic - 1 device, SD streaming) $13 (Standard - 2 devices, HD streaming) $16 (Premium - 4 devices, 4K streaming) |
| HBO Max | $14.99, free with AT&T Unlimited Elite data plan Free for Now subs on AT&T, via Apple or Play stores |
| Amazon Prime Video | $8.99 standalone, free with Amazon Prime subscription |
| Hulu | $6 (ad-based service) $12 (ad-free option) $45 (Hulu with Live TV and 50+ live streaming channels) |
| Disney+ | $6.99 per month, or $70 for an annual subscription $12.99 for Disney+, ESPN Plus, and ad-supported Hulu free on Verizon unlimited plans |
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