HBO, or Home Box Office, is a premium cable and streaming television network that first began in 1972. It’s best known for producing high-quality original programming, including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and The Wire, in addition to other shows, movies, and documentaries. HBO is usually offered through its streaming service, HBO Max (called Max from 2023 to 2025), which includes a vast library of HBO original content as well as content from HGTV, Adult Swim, Studio Ghibli, and more.
Since HBO Max no longer offers a free trial, you may be asking yourself, is there a way to watch HBO for free? Thankfully, the answer is yes. Read on to find out how to watch HBO for free using DirecTV Stream’s free trial.
DirecTV Stream
Since launching in 2016, DirecTV Stream has undergone a number of name changes and ownership shifts, but, what remains is its impressive channel coverage. The company, with nearly 30 years of satellite TV experience, provides a diverse content selection, including a wide range of regional sports networks, news networks, and premium networks like HBO.
DirecTV Stream free trial
DirecTV Stream’s free trial is on the shorter side, but it still gives you 5 days to try out HBO. The good news is the free trial is available at every subscription level, so you can get 5 days of any channel package: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, and Premier. The other good news? When DIRECTV is running its seasonal promo, you can also include a 3-month free trial of Cinemax, Showtime, Starz, and MGM+ with Entertainment or higher packages, so you get 5 free days of those premium channels too!
To avoid being charged, just be sure to cancel your free trial within those 5 days. You can learn more about the DirecTV Stream free trial here.
How to sign up for DirecTV Stream’s free trial
Signing up for a free trial through DirecTV Stream is easy. Just follow these steps:
Step 1: Navigate to DirecTV’s website and select a plan
Step 2: Click ‘Start 5-day free trial’
Step 3: Input your account and payment information (you won’t be charged until after the trial ends)
Step 4: Start watching!
DirecTV Stream plans and pricing
As mentioned above, DirecTV Stream offers 4 different channel packages: Entertainment, Choice, Ultimate, and Premier. You only need the Entertainment package to sign up for HBO, but we suggest trying out the Premier option since it comes with over 185+ other channels.
DIRECTV Stream Entertainment
$59.99 for the first month
- 90+ channels
- Local channels and ESPN Unlimited
- Unlimited cloud DVR
- Unlimited streams
$89.99/month
DIRECTV Stream Óptimo Más
- 100+ live TV channels
- Spanish and English programming
- Unlimited cloud DVR
$74.99/month
DIRECTV Stream Choice
$64.99 for the first month, then $10 off for 2 months
- 125+ channels
- Includes regional sports networks
- Unlimited cloud DVR
- Unlimited streams
$94.99/month
DIRECTV Stream Ultimate
$99.99 for the first month, then $10 off for 2 months
- 160+ channels
- Includes regional sports networks
- STARZ Encore and NHL Network
- Unlimited cloud DVR
$129.99/month
DIRECTV Stream Premier
- 185+ channels
- Includes HBO Max, Paramount+ Premium, STARZ and Cinemax
- Includes regional sports networks
- Unlimited cloud DVR
$159.99/month
Other option: YouTube TV
YouTube TV, which is actually owned by Google, is YouTube's way of getting into the live TV streaming game. It started back in 2017, and over time, it's grown to include a variety of sports, news, and entertainment content.
YouTube TV has a free trial and also offers HBO Max as an add-on, but unfortunately, HBO Max is not included as part of the free trial. However, if you purchase the NFL Sunday Ticket with your YouTube TV subscription, you get 3 free months of Max.
YouTube TV free trial
If you’re interested in trying out the platform, YouTube TV offers one of the longest free trials amongst streamers, giving you 10 days to flip through its 100+ channels. Sign up for the free trial to get 10 days of the platform free and cancel before the end of your trial if you don’t want to get charged.
If you decide you like the service, YouTube TV often runs limited-time discounts for new subscribers (in 2026, $15 off per month for your first five months), which in addition to the free trial is a pretty good deal.
YouTube TV plans and pricing
YouTube TV offers one main channel package that comes with 100+ channels including ABC, CNN, FOX, and ESPN. As mentioned earlier, YouTube is also the new home for the NFL Sunday Ticket, so it’s a particularly sweet deal for football fans who also want to watch HBO.
Lisa Holden • Author
Lisa Holden is an editor and creative based in Houston, TX. Lisa holds a BA in African-American Studies from Temple University and has spent her career working in news publications and magazines, even founding a magazine herself. She began working as an editor for Flixed in 2023. When she’s not editing or working on one of her many creative endeavors (whenever that is), she enjoys traveling to new places and biking on sunny days.
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