Sorry, sports fans, but your free pass for Max’s live sports tier might expire sooner rather than later.
According to Bloomberg, Max may soon start charging $10 a month extra for the Bleacher Report Sports Add-On, the live sports tier that Max first rolled out last October.
To be clear, Max has said all along that it would eventually charge extra for Bleacher Report. But for one reason or another, Max kept pushing back the date when it would begin imposing a fee for the add-on, and Max-subscribing sports fans (myself included) have been all too happy to watch the deadline slip.
Bloomberg is careful to note that Max could delay charging for Bleacher Report yet again, as striking deals with the all the players involved in the sports tier has “been a challenge.”
That said, Max parent Warner Bros. Discovery is under pressure to show some positive cash flow from its expensive live sports initiatives, particularly now that its Venu Sports partnership with Disney and Fox is on ice.
Max, which had initially said it would offer free access to the Bleacher Report add-on for five months following its October 2023 launch, could start charging for the Bleacher Report add-on “later” this month, Bloomberg reports.
The Bleacher Report Sports Add-On offers a smorgasbord of live Major League Baseball, National Hockey League, and U.S. Soccer action.
Bleacher Report has also served up dozens of simulcast NBA games from Warner Bros.-owned TNT, but that all could be changing next season following a blockbuster deal that will see pro-hoops media rights moving to Amazon Prime Video, NBC, and Peacock.
Warner Bros. is fighting the deal in court, but barring a three-pointer in the final seconds, Bleacher Report will likely lose its NBA cred starting in the 2024-25 season.
Max is looking to offset the loss of basketball on its Bleacher Report tier with other sports, including French Open tennis, Bloomberg reports.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.