Live sports are heading to Max as Warner Bros. Discovery adds a new layer to the streaming app
Los Angeles Dodgers centerfielder Cody Bellinger (35) steals second base as St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Tommy Edman (19) makes the late throw in the 2021 National League Wild Card game at Dodger Stadium .
Robert Hanashiro | USA TODAY Sports
Sports come too Warner Bros. Discovery‘s streaming app Max.
Starting October 5th, Max will do it contain A tier that simulcasts live sporting events already broadcast on the company's traditional television channels TNT and TBS. The stage begins in time for the Major League Baseball postseason, which airs on TBS.
The membership, called Bleacher Report (B/R) Sports Add-On, also includes NHL, NBA, NCAA March Madness and US Soccer games. Max subscribers get free access until February 29th. Then it costs an additional $9.99 per month.
CNBC previously reported on Warner Bros. Discovery's plans to add sports to Max under the Bleacher Report brand to appeal to a younger audience that has increasingly bypassed the traditional pay-TV package.
Media companies have performed a delicate dance to make their streaming services more attractive in order to turn a profit, and are now trying different methods to do so.
Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming segment was profitable in the first half of the year, and the company expects it to remain that way for the full year.
Max has gone through several changes over the last year and has increased the content for the fall.
In May, the streamer was renamed Max after the parent company merged content from the HBO Max and Discovery+ apps. The move came more than a year after Warner Bros. and Discovery merged.
The company has also struck a deal with AMC Networks to show more than 200 episodes of the cable television network's current programs for two months. The agreement, launched earlier this month, runs through Halloween.
But sports and news were long-awaited additions to the app. CEO David Zaslav said during the company's earnings call this summer that the change would come soon.
On September 27, the app will also include CNN Max, a 24/7 live news hub featuring content from the network's top anchors.
The company raised the price of Max earlier this year and hasn't increased it since. Currently, Max's ad-free tier costs $15.99 per month, while a cheaper option with ads costs $9.99 per month. Company executives said in investor calls that they see the potential for further price increases in the future.
In addition to the MLB postseason, the Max Sports tier also includes 60 live NHL regular season games, 65 NBA regular season matchups and postseason games for both leagues. It will also feature live videos and other content from Bleacher Report.
