“HBO Max Recommends” Skill For Alexa Launches Today
Skill Allows Users To Swipe Conversationally Through HBO Max’s Extensive Catalog To Create A Curated List Of Content
HBO Max today announced the launch of the “HBO Max Recommends” skill for Alexa, an interactive voice-first discovery service allowing users the opportunity to quickly browse and “swipe” yes or no on titles from across the expansive HBO Max catalog.
Available today on Alexa-enabled devices, “HBO Max Recommends” is a solution for users looking for something great to watch and who would like a little guidance from HBO Max and Alexa. To build their personalized watchlists, users begin by saying, “Alexa, open HBO Max Recommends” followed by answering a series of verbal yes or no questions that highlight HBO Max's curated, premium content selection. They can filter recommendations by genre or ask for show descriptions, character lists, and other useful information for hundreds of select titles.
For family and friends watching together in the same room, “HBO Max Recommends” has a multiplayer mode that interacts with up to three co-viewers, ultimately curating a list of recommendations that satisfy all members of the group. Once a session is complete, HBO Max Recommends will text them their list with links to stream the content on HBO Max.
“HBO Max continues to build on its mission of providing fun and interactive experiences to fans with their skill ‘HBO Max Recommends,’” said Jason Mulderig, SVP Brand Marketing, HBO Max and HBO. “Working with Amazon and adding this additional avenue of content discovery is another way we’re enhancing our customers’ overall viewing experience.”
Programming options range from classic HBO Originals like “Game of Thrones” and “The Sopranos,” to beloved comedies like “Insecure,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” to even more TV favorites like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” and “Friends,” to new Max Originals like “Love Life,” “Selena + Chef,” and “The Flight Attendant,” to epic movies and more.
The “HBO Max Recommends” skill for Alexa will also include “Spotlight Sessions,” a human-curated list of ten titles related to current and upcoming holidays, events, anniversaries, and premieres. The feature will launch in June, just in time for the Warner Bros. summer film debuts “In The Heights” (June 11) and “Space Jam: A New Legacy” (July 16), premiering in theaters and on HBO Max the same day.
“We are so proud to work with HBO Max to launch the ‘HBO Max Recommends’ skill for Alexa and reach HBO Max users—and their family and friends—with a simplified, fun and satisfying journey as they decide what to stream from HBO Max’s premier catalog,” said Steve Bernstein, director of Alexa Skills at Amazon. “We look forward to seeing how fans respond to and engage with this new offering with HBO Max Recommends as their guide.”
“HBO Max Recommends,” developed in partnership with Skilled Creative, is the latest experience the streamer has launched to deepen fan engagement with emerging technology. Earlier this year, HBO Max launched “HBO Max Orbit,” an innovative, interactive digital and retail experience that responds to facial and body movements and voice prompts to engage users with thousands of iconic moments, characters and stories from the catalog in a personalized, intuitive way. In 2020, the team launched “Lovecraft Country: Sanctum,” a three-part virtual reality event series that immersed fans into the world of the show, and “His Dark Materials: My Daemon,” an augmented reality iOS app that pairs users with a daemon from the series. Both have been nominated for multiple Webbys this year, including in the “Immersive - Best Video” and “Mobile & OTT App Features - Experimental & Innovation” categories, respectively.
HBO Max is scheduled to launch an ad-supported subscription tier and to begin its global expansion across 39 territories in Latin America next month.