Canceled HBO Shows Are Showing Up On Roku
Canceled HBO shows, including Westworld, are now available on Roku.
West World, Raised by Wolves, and several other popular HBO shows that were previously removed from the HBO Max library are now beginning to appear on Roku, according to Tech Crunch. It was announced earlier this year that Warner Bros. Discovery had struck deals with both Roku and Tubi to license 2,000 hours of movies and TV shows. As part of each agreement, the two platforms would receive Warner Bros.-branded free, ad-supported channels.
Following Tubi’s lead, which introduced HBO Max titles to its service two months ago, Roku recently added 14 linear Warner Bros.-branded channels that feature movies and TV shows from the studio’s content library. Each of the channels is tailored to a different niche. For example, WB TV Watchlist is dedicated to fan-favorite shows like Westworld and Nikita, while WB TV How To features docuseries such as How It’s Made and How the Earth Works.
In addition to housing a long list of HBO television titles, more than 90 Warner Bros. films are now available on both Tubi and Roku. With WB At the Movies, viewers can indulge in a delightful mix of classic films from the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Fans can stream an array of movies, including Born to Be Wild, Joe Versus the Volcano, and Matchstick Men, starring Nicolas Cage.
Despite fans’ frustration over Warner Bros. Discovery’s decision to remove a considerable amount of content from HBO Max, they can now take solace in continuing to binge-watch their favorite shows on Tubi and Roku. And the good news for Warner Bros. Discovery is that licensing its content for streaming on other services should improve the company’s financial performance. Warner Bros. Discovery reported a net loss of $2.1 billion for the last quarter of 2022.
The Warner Bros.-branded channels, which feature a slew of titles previously removed from HBO Max, are arriving on Roku just before Warner Bros. Discovery folds Disovery+ into HBO Max as part of a combined streaming service sometime this spring. After its launch in the United States, the service will expand to Latin America, followed by Europe in 2024. While it is expected that the enhanced HBO Max service will not be more expensive at launch, subscribers can choose an ad-free or ad-lite plan when the price eventually increases.
The name of the new streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery has not been disclosed yet, but according to reports, it will be called Max. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait too long to know for sure. The company plans to unveil the official name at an event scheduled for April 12.
In the meantime, can we appreciate that several shows removed from HBO Max are finding new life on Tubi and Roku? It’s undoubtedly a testament to each platform’s commitment to quality programming and user experience. Whether you’re a fan of sci-fi epics like Raised by Wolves or mind-bending dramas like Westworld, both services now offer a unique opportunity for viewers to stream some of Warner Bros. Discovery’s highest-rated shows.
