Streaming is just TV all over again

As Rust Cohle famously put it in HBO’s True Detective, “Time is a flat circle.” So it’s maybe not a huge surprise that Max is the latest service to bring cable-style linear channels to a premium streaming service.

It’s starting to test such channels in the US. Some ad-free subscribers will see a Channels option on the homepage of adult profiles. This will take you to a selection of 24/7 feeds of HBO programming, including HBO and HBO 2 simulcasts. Other channels will showcase prestige drama, comedy and classic HBO shows, movies and documentaries.

The channels work pretty much like any linear TV network in the modern age. You can restart shows, rewind and fast-forward. On select devices, you’ll be able to switch between channels directly in the player, without having to go back to the channels hub.

This initial rollout lays the groundwork for more themed channels, which will start arriving next year. According to The Verge, Max may even offer personalized streaming channels down the road.

These channels could help you avoid wasting time instead of scrolling through Max while figuring out what to watch. If you’re in the mood to laugh, maybe just turn on HBO Comedy. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will surely be hoping that channels increase engagement and keep people using the streaming service. After all, lots of folks simply switch on the likes of CBS because they want to watch something and they trust the network’s brand enough to deliver a show that suits them.

Max already offers linear channels in Europe. Crave, a Canadian streaming service that has exclusive rights to the HBO library in that market, offers HBO and HBO 2 simulcasts as well. WBD notably pulled shows including Westworld and The Nevers from Max a couple of years ago. Roku and Tubi now offer free, ad-supported channels featuring HBO shows and other WBD programming.

Rivals also have their own linear channels, including Disney+, Paramount+ and Peacock. Amazon, meanwhile, is shutting down Freevee and moving its programming to Prime Video.

As if it weren’t already evident enough that media conglomerates are trying to bring back the heady success that cable saw for decades, they’re teaming up with each other through streaming bundles. One gets you Max, Disney+ and Hulu for $30 per month, while Comcast offers a package of Netflix, Peacock and Apple TV+ for $15 per month.

Saving you money (compared with subscribing to these services separately) while dumping a ton of programming you don’t care about into your lap? This is all really just cable 2.0.