Dish Network said that it has made a new agreement with AT&T’s WarnerMedia that finally gives Dish TV subscribers access to HBO Max, as well as HBO and Cinemax.

HBO has been off Dish since November 2018. 

Under the deal, Dish customers can get HBO Max at a discounted price for up to 12 months, paying $12 per month for HBO Max’s Ad Free version, instead of the standard $14.99 month price. Additionally, Dish TV customers will get six live channels, including HBO, HBO Family and HBO Signature, as well as access to thousands of movies and shows on demand.

Dish customers can also get a 10-day free preview of HBO and Cinemax as part of the deal. If they decide to subscribe to Cinemax, it will cost $10 per month.

Also Read: Domestic HBO Max and HBO Subscribers Hit 47 Million

“Our number one priority at Dish is and always has been to provide our customers the best entertainment experience,” said Brian Neylon, group president, Dish TV. “Our customers now have greater choice in the content they can access. HBO Max and Cinemax offer iconic, beloved and acclaimed content that our customers will enjoy.”

HBO disappeared from Dish as AT&T, owner of rival satellite service DirecTV, was acquiring Warner Media. At the time Dish accused AT&T of looking to keep its content from competitors.

This year AT&T has made deals to spin off both DirecTV and its WarnerMedia unit.

The deal provides new subscriber opportunities for HBO services with Dish customers. AT&T already is coming off adding 2.8 million domestic HBO Max and HBO subscribers in the second quarter, raising its total to 47 million domestically--up 10.7 million year over year--and 67.5 million globally. AT&T now says it expects to have 70 million to 73 million global HBO Max and HBO subscribers by the end of the year. 

Dish has about 8.7 million subscribers in the U.S., even after subtracting 230,000 in the first quarter. The new deal does not include Sling TV, Dish’s OTT extension.

“When we launched HBO Max, we set out to make it available to customers everywhere they chose to access premium content, and today’s launch with Dish is a key addition to our distribution strategy for the platform,” said Scott Miller, executive VP of business & legal affairs for WarnerMedia. “We’re excited that Dish customers can now access all that HBO Max – as well as our premium linear networks –have to offer.”

Crime drama Warrior will be on HBO Max for season three. The show, based on the writings of Bruce Lee and created by Jonathan Tropper, previously aired on HBO sibling Cinemax. 

Warrior is about the Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century. Season two came out in October. Seasons one and two are streaming on HBO Max. 

Trooper, a novelist, executive produces the show under Tropper Ink Productions. Justin Lin, Danielle Woodrow and Andrew Schneider exec produce for Perfect Storm Entertainment and Shannon Lee does so for Bruce Lee Entertainment. Brad Kane and Richard Sharkey executive produce as well. 

The cast includes Andrew Koji, Kieran Bew, Celine Buckens, Olivia Cheng, Dianne Doan, Dean Jagger, Langley Kirkwood and Maria-Elena Laas. 

“Warrior introduced viewers to a distinct world from the past, executed with dynamic action and relevant storytelling, with a brilliant cast led by Andrew Koji,” said Casey Bloys, chief content officer, HBO and HBO Max. “We can’t wait to see what Jonathan, Justin and Shannon will bring to the next chapter of this series on HBO Max.” 

Tropper previously created Cinemax series Banshee. 

“Justin, Jonathan, and I were thrilled when Warrior was put on HBO platforms to be discovered by a whole new legion of fans,” said Shannon Lee. “Now we are excited and grateful for the opportunity to do another season, and we applaud HBO Max for understanding the importance of telling this story and for continuing to support this level of representation in our industry. I just know that my father is grinning right now to see this show he dreamed of so long ago continuing to beat the odds.  We have every intention of delivering the same high level of meaningful storytelling and Gung Fu action in season 3!”

Warrior, the martial arts drama that begins season two on Cinemax Oct. 2, is set in the late 19th century, but its look at the struggle of immigrants makes it timely in 2020, said creator Jonathan Tropper. “We tell a story from 1870 that’s still true today,” said Tropper. “A country built by immigrants, yet we struggle with our relationship with immigrants.” 

Warrior is a rough-and-tumble crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century. Based on the writings of Bruce Lee, season two has ten episodes. Tropper, a novelist whose books include This is Where I Leave You and One Last Thing Before I Go, got into Lee when he was a child in New York City, learning martial arts. “You can’t do that and not be aware of Bruce Lee,” he said. 

Over the years, Tropper, speaking from Toronto, where he was working on his Apple TV Plus series See, learned “how multifaceted Lee was,” he said, and an accomplished artist with “a lot of really good pencil drawings and illustrations.”

The series follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances. After proving his worth as a fighter, Ah Sahm becomes a hatchet man for the Hop Wei, one of Chinatown’s most powerful Tongs (Chinese organized crime families). 

Season two follows rival Chinatown Tongs as they fight for dominance amidst the growing anti-Chinese fervor that threatens to destroy them all. The cast includes Kieran Bew, Celine Buckens and Olivia Cheng.

The show shoots in Cape Town, South Africa. Showrunner Tropper said they wanted to build a “self contained world”--streets, alleys and buildings from 19th century San Francisco’s Chinatown. It’s a massive set, and it would’ve cost a ton in Los Angeles or New York. 

Tropper executive produces Warrior under Tropper Ink Productions, alongside Justin Lin and Andrew Schneider for Perfect Storm Entertainment and Shannon Lee from Bruce Lee Entertainment. Brad Kane and Richard Sharkey also executive produce.  

Tropper previously created Banshee, which went for four seasons on Cinemax. 

He’s a busy man these days. His novels have been on hold since his screen work took off. “I haven’t written a book in quite a while--I’ve really been diving into TV and film,” said Tropper. He said he’s been in the middle of writing a novel forever. “The world is changing,” he added. “I have to reframe it.”

Tropper doesn’t practice martial arts anymore. “I’m older now and it’s fallen away,” he said. “Now I just write about it.”

End-of-the-World Fun on Amazon 

Utopia is on Amazon Prime. A group of young people come together when they discover that the conspiracy in a comic that foretells the demise of humanity is, in fact, real. 

That demise-of-humanity thing might feel a bit timely. “The show does feature a panic-inducing viral outbreak,” executive producer Jessica Rhoades said. “But it’s more about how different groups of people band together to save the world.”

The show is inspired by a U.K. series of the same name that ran 2013-2014. Exec producer Gillian Flynn added Dr. Christie, played by John Cusack, to the U.S. series. “I think viewers will see a John that they haven’t seen before,” said Rhoades. 

Rhoades and Flynn previously worked on HBO’s Sharp Objects. Rhoades received a bunch of Utopia scripts and read them until the wee hours. “It’s a different side of Gillian,” she said, with lots of “wicked humor.”

Tong Wars Brought to Life on Cinemax 

Martial arts drama Warrior begins season two on Cinemax Oct. 2. Based on the writings of Bruce Lee, it’s about the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the 19th century. After proving his worth as a fighter, Ah Sahm becomes hatchet man for the Hop Wei gang. 

Warrior shoots in Cape Town. Creator Jonathan Tropper said producers needed to build a “self-contained world” — streets, alleys and buildings from 1800s California — and South Africa made
that possible. 

Immigration was a hot issue when Warrior takes place, and still is. “We tell a story from 1870 that’s still true today,” said Tropper. “A country built by immigrants, yet we struggle with our relationship with immigrants.”

New AMC Series Goes Beyond ‘The Walking Dead’ 

The Walking Dead: World Beyond debuts Oct. 4 on AMC, following the first generation raised in the post-apocalyptic world. Two teen sisters, Hope and Iris, set out on “a grand adventure,” as co-creator Matt Negrete puts it, and run into a bit of trouble, including zombies the series refers to as “empties.” 

Viewers won’t find Walking Dead characters in
the spinoff. “This is a whole other thing,” co-creator Scott M. Gimple said. “You won’t see Rick Grimes walking around the corner, saying, ‘Hey kids,
what’s up?’ ”

Negrete said World Beyond has similar horror and suspense, but “a bit more hopeful tone.”

The show is shot in Richmond, Virginia. It was slated for an April premiere, but COVID jammed things up. Gimple hopes World Beyond will provide a bit of entertainment in these trying times. “The show offers people an escape,” he said. “An escape from their homes, from the monotony, from the pressure people are feeling.” λ

Cinemax martial arts drama Warrior begins season two Oct. 2. Based on the writings of Bruce Lee, Warrior was created by Jonathan Tropper. There are 10 new episodes. 

Warrior is a gritty crime drama set during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the late 19th century. The series follows Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China to San Francisco under mysterious circumstances. After proving his worth as a fighter, Ah Sahm becomes a hatchet man for the Hop Wei, one of Chinatown’s most powerful Tongs (Chinese organized crime family). 

Season two follows rival Chinatown Tongs as they fight for dominance amidst the growing anti-Chinese fervor that threatens to destroy them all.

The cast includes Kieran Bew, Celine Buckens, Olivia Cheng, Dianne Doan and Dean Jagger.

A novelist, Tropper executive produces under Tropper Ink Productions, alongside Justin Lin and Andrew Schneider for Perfect Storm Entertainment and Shannon Lee from Bruce Lee Entertainment. Brad Kane and Richard Sharkey also executive produce.  

Tropper previously produced Banshee. 

Verizon said it will be making premium channels HBO, Cinemax and Starz available to subscribers, many of whom are staying at home to slow the spread of the Coronavirus.

All Fios TV customers will be able to watch HBO and Cinemax April 17-20 and Starz from April 17 to 23.

Also read: Verizon’s Video Strategy: Everything You Need to Know About the Wireless Giant’s Tortured TV History

They will also be able to watch free replaces of classic NBA games from NBA League Pass and select NHL games from NHL Center Ice.

Previously, Verizon had added more than 80 channels to its service, including both premium entertainment channels as well as resources that allow for online learning and study support for students.

As of April 1, Fios TV customers who don’t subscribe to select premium channels will get access to additional networks at no added cost, without having to sign up or sign on.

Those networks include Showtime and Epix.

Customers can also get 30 days of instruction exercise video from Gaiam TV Fit and Yoga.

In April, Verizon mobile and Fios customers will be able to experience up to 60 days of free access to valued education resources, tools and games at no cost, including:

> Quizlet: Students and teachers can get a Quizlet Plus account to study languages, science, math, history and more with engaging learning tools and flashcards.

> Bookful: Children can bring books to life with hundreds of augmented reality and 3D interactive education books and games to improve comprehension.

> Chegg: Students will have access to the new Chegg Study Pack with step-by-step textbook solutions, expert Q&A, practice tests, grammar and plagiarism checkers, and a step-by-step math solver.

> Epic!: Parents and children will get access to Epic’s 40,000-book digital library, trusted by more than one million teachers, and built for safety, discoverability and fun. 

WarnerMedia said it will expand its existing distribution agreement with YouTube TV for its entertainment, sports and news network content to include its upcoming streaming video service, HBO Max.

According to WarnerMedia, the deal expands on the existing carriage agreement between the two companies for its TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network to add access to the HBO and Cinemax services to the YouTube TV lineup for the first time. As part of a new deal, YouTube TV has also committed to distributing WarnerMedia’s upcoming HBO Max streaming platform when it launches in May.

“As consumers’ media consumption habits continually evolve and the landscape becomes more and more dynamic, our goal remains constant, and that is to make the portfolio of WarnerMedia networks available as widely as possible,” said WarnerMedia Distribution president Rich Warren in a press release. “YouTube has been a valued partner for a number of years, and we’re pleased to not only extend our existing agreement, but also make HBO and Cinemax - and soon HBO Max - available to YouTube TV customers for the first time.”

Both linear and on-demand HBO and Cinemax content will debut on YouTube TV this spring.

WarnerMedia’s TBS, TNT, truTV, CNN, HLN, Turner Classic Movies, Adult Swim and Cartoon Network have been available to YouTube TV customers since 2018 and will continue to be available on the service.

HBO Max will be available to YouTube TV customers at launch and will include content from the premium HBO service, new original series, third-party licensed programs and movies, and content from the WarnerMedia library.

“Our commitment at YouTube TV is to deliver TV to our members how and when they want it,” said YouTube TV global head of partnerships Lori Conkling in a press release. “We are thrilled to continue our partnership with WarnerMedia to deliver their family of networks that are popular among our members, as well as introduce HBO, Cinemax and HBO Max to our growing line-up of premium content.”

With the CTAM portion of the Television Critics Association’s 2020 winter press tour now in the books, the television industry is poised to continue its evolution, with linear networks vying with streaming services for the hearts and eyeballs of consumers.

Here are three trends that marked this year’s TCA Winter press tour presentations for cable networks and streaming services:

Streaming services stake out positions as streaming wars loom

While Netflix was absent from this year’s TCA tour and NBC unveiled its plans for its new streaming service Peacock during its investor day last week, several streaming services presenting at TCA offered a glimpse into their operating strategies as the streaming wars begin to take shape.

Amazon Studios head Jennifer Salke said Amazon Prime is not phased by the increased competition among streamers, adding that they are focused on giving its Prime subscribers quality original programming, which includes Emmy-winning series such as Fleabag. HBO Max chief content officer actually lamented the phrase “streaming wars” to describe the growing competitive landscape for streaming services, adding that many of the services currently offered are providing differentiated content offerings to appeal to different tastes and audiences.

“As these services premiere and roll out ... they really are quite different,” Reilly said.

Meanwhile, Discovery Inc. may soon step into the digital streaming ring with the potential launch of an SVOD service that would curate the company’s lineup of unscripted content from such networks as HGTV, Food Network, Discovery and TLC, according to Discovery CEO David Zaslav.

RELATED: Zaslav teases potential Discovery-based streaming service

Networks, streaming services continue to increase number of lead LGBTQ characters

Several new shows will feature LGBTQ lead characters, further increasing what LGBTQ advocacy group GLAAD recently reported as a noticeable increase in gay and lesbian lead characters on television.

RELATED: Diverse Images Increasing on Screen, but Viewers Want More

LGBTQ character-led shows announced at the TCA include BET’s Twenties, created and produced by Emmy-winning producer Lena Waithe which follows the exploits of a 20-something queer black girl and her two straight best friends; Freeform’s Everything is Going to Be OK, which stars Josh Thomas as a gay man who becomes the guardian of his two half-sisters; and TLC’s reality series Dragnificent!, which recruits four drag queens to rescue people in need of help. In addition, AppleTV+ will stream a documentary, Visible: Out on Television, a five-part docuseries that examines how TV has shaped the American conscience and how the LGBTQ movement has shaped television.

Scripted series still rolling out in record numbers, but cracks are forming in the "Peak TV" universe

Scripted content continued to grow at an unprecedented pace in 2019, with more than 530 scripted original dramas, comedies and limited dramas available on streaming services and broadcast and cable networks, according to FX. But while new entrants like HBO Max,  Peacock and Apple TV+ will help add to the number of scripted series, other companies are getting out of the original series game. Premium service Cinemax will no longer develop original scripted content, according to HBO Max’s Reilly. Cinemax joins AT&T’s Audience Network -- which will be re branded as an HBO Max preview channel -- as services that previously announced a complete elimination of scripted fare. Expect more services to exit the scripted series highway in the months to come. 

For Comcast, the Hitz are coming, albeit not all at once.

As it said it would in late May, the operator started today replacing Cinemax channels with its own on-demand movie network, Hitz.

According to a premium-tier customer in a Philadelphia suburb, three of his five Cinemax channels are now listed as “HITZ, HITZ2 and HITZ3.”

“I’ve confirmed everything is moving forward as planned,” a Comcast press rep told MCN in an email this morning. 

The largest U.S. cable operator announced on a marketing page in late May that it was going to replace WarnerMedia-owned premium channel Cinemax with Hitz, effective July 17.

Comcast is apparently just slow in updating its marketing collateral to reflect the transition.

As of this morning, Cinemax is still listed as being a part of the premium tiers for which it was supposed to be replaced by Hitz. For example, Cinemax is still listed along with sibling network HBO, Showtime and Starz in the 260-plus-channel Xfinity Premier bundle.

And notably, Cinemax is still included on a Comcast marketing page devoted to premium channels offered by the operator. These also include Epix and Showtime Networks-owned The Movie Channel.

Hitz, Comcast said, would replace Cinemax today, offering a rotating selection of 200 films from major studios on-demand. But it’s still not included on this premium channel page.

Effective today, the operator said, Cinemax is still be available to Comcast subscribers, but only as a $12-a-month premium add-on. The Comcast rep said the operator will continue to promote that a la carte option. 

RELATED: Comcast Set to Replace Cinemax with New On-Demand Movie Service Hitz

“After Hitz launches on July 17, the easiest way to find Hitz will be saying ‘Hitz’ into your X1 voice remote," Comcast said while announcing the channel. "Hitz can also be found in the Networks section of the On Demand menu. You can also see current Hitz movies in the on-screen grid guide — frequently near other movie services.”

Since Hitz was announced, Comcast reps have worked the message boards and tried explain the switch to customers, some of which are bereaved.

On July 4, for example, Comcast user “megdrex” complained, "We all know we're losing six channels and gaining one worthless piece of garbage.”

Verified employee “ComcastPhill” responded that the cable operator has the contractual right to “add, change and remove” channels.

He further explained, “Most of the movies on Cinemax have also aired on HBO, which creates a duplication since your TV package also includes HBO. By adding Hitz to your package for no additional charge, we’re offering a comparable number of movie titles to Cinemax.”

Cinemax has renewed its freshman drama series Warrior for a second season, the network said Wednesday.

The series, based on the writings of Bruce Lee, follows a martial arts prodigy who emigrates from China to San Francisco during the brutal Tong Wars of San Francisco’s Chinatown in the second half of the 19th century, according to the network.

"Bruce Lee's vision is alive and well," said Len Amato, president of HBO Films, Miniseries and Cinemax programming in a statement. "Warrior combines high-energy martial arts with wit and brains. We're thrilled to renew such a great show for a second season on Cinemax.” 

Hulu has reached a deal to make HBO and Cinemax available to Hulu’s live and on-demand subscribers as premium add-ons.

HBO and Cinemax are owned by Time Warner, which bought a stake in Hulu last year.

Hulu subscribers will be able to buy HBO for $14.99 a month and Cinemax for $9.99 a month. The deal comes just before the July 16 premiere of season seven of HBO’s big hit Game of Thrones.

“By combining HBO’s iconic programming with our world class user experience and deep content offering, Hulu is giving viewers easy and highly personalized access to the very best of television,” said Tim Connolly, senior vice president and head of distribution and partnerships at Hulu. “With this important new partnership, fans can now watch Game of Thrones live every Sunday, binge watch all six seasons of The Sopranos or catch up on Westworld alongside our live TV, sports, classic TV shows and Hulu originals – all without ever having to leave the Hulu app.”

AT&T’s DirecTV Now is offering HBO free for an introductory period. HBO also offers its own over-the-top service, HBO Now, directly to subscribers.

“Hulu has been a pioneer in the television streaming business, building a robust user base by offering top-tier programming from a variety of networks,” said Sofia Chang, HBO executive vice president, worldwide digital distribution and home entertainment. “We see them as the perfect partner to help us fulfill our promise to HBO fans, bringing our unparalleled programming to audiences in the most sophisticated, convenient and innovative ways.”

East and West Coast live feeds of HBO and Cinemax will be available to Hulu viewers on supported devices.

Subscribers who purchase the HBO add-on through Hulu will also gain access to HBO Now through their Hulu account. In the coming weeks additional live channels HBO 2, HBO Family, HBO Latino, HBO Comedy, HBO Signature HD, HBO Zone, MoreMAX HD, ActionMAX HD, ThrillerMAX HD, MovieMAX HD, 5StarMAX HD and OuterMAX HD will become available to Hulu viewers within the add-ons, the company said.

HBO and Cinemax have launched on PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV service, with HBO Now, the premium programmer’s separate direct-to-consumer over-the-top offering, debuting on the PlayStation 4 and PS3 consoles.

The launch comes about two weeks after they announced that the debut would come ahead of the October 2 premiere of HBO's much-anticipated sci-fi drama, Westworld.

HBO and Cinemax are also available through PlayStation Vue as standalone channel offerings for $15 each per month. HBO Now, HBO’s standalone OTT subscription service, has also launched on PlayStation 4 and PS3 consoles. 

PS Vue is also debuting Ultra, a package that includes HBO, Showtime and north of 100 sports, movie and TV channels for $64.99 per month (or $74.99 in areas where PS Vue provides access to major live local TV broadcasts).  Ultra complements PS Vue’s existing Elite, Core, and Access packages.

PS Vue is also supported on Roku players and Roku TVs, iOS and Android mobile devices, and Amazon Fire TV devices.

It’s a PlayStation kind of day for HBO.

The premium programmer announced Thursday that it has secured a deal to offer HBO and Cinemax via PlayStation Vue, Sony’s OTT-TV service, and will also launch HBO Now, its direct-to-consumer offering on PlayStation 3 and PS4 consoles.

Consumers who subscribe to HBO through PlayStation Vue will also be able to access HBO Now on all supporting devices at no extra charge, they said.

The premium programmer said the distribution on PS Vue is the first time that either network’s live feeds will be offered directly to consumers as a standalone offering without the need for a separate pay TV subscription.

PS Vue will sell HBO and Cinemax for $15 each.

HBO noted that the launches will come ahead of the October 2 premiere of Westworld, a reimagined version of the Michael Crichton story about a Wild West-styled theme park for adults that's inhabited androids.

“PlayStation has always been at the forefront of innovation and we are thrilled to build upon our partnership with them to meet the evolving demands of television audiences,” said Jeff Dallesandro, SVP, worldwide digital distribution and business development at HBO, in a statement. “By expanding the ways that PlayStation users can access unparalleled programming like Game of Thrones, The Night Of and Last Week Tonight, we’re demonstrating our commitment to flexibility and quality.”

“HBO’s award-winning content is a great match for the PlayStation audience, and the addition of HBO and Cinemax builds upon our commitment to bring the best of live and on demand TV to our users.” Added Dwayne Benefield, VP and head of PlayStation Vue. “PlayStation Vue continues to bring industry firsts to users who want a better way to watch TV, including being the first to offer HBO and Cinemax as live standalone channels. Our flexible subscription options offer more choices for consumers than ever before.”

AT&T and HBO said tonight they have reached a multi-platform agreement to extend HBO content across AT&T platforms and have HBO and Cinemax join the upcoming DirecTV Now over-the-top streaming service, scheduled to launch later this year. Other than it being a multi-year deal, the companies said they wouldn't disclose financial terms of the agreement. HBO and Cinemax content also will be part of AT&T mobile video bundle offers, the companies said, with details on that front to come later. HBO and Cinemax channels' places on DirecTV and AT&T U-verse lineups are renewed in the pact.

RELATED: AT&T: DirecTV Now Will Be a Game Changer

Here are the pertinent release quotes:

Dan York, chief content officer for AT&T: "Our agreement with HBO is groundbreaking in the pay TV and wireless industries as well as the premium category. With this agreement, we have created easy access to subscribe and consume HBO's premium content across all of our platforms. We look forward to growing HBO and Max subscribers. This is a first-of-its-kind deal for both companies and a big win for consumers, building off AT&T's industry leading scale as an HBO distributor for the benefit of our wireless, broadband, and entertainment customer base."

Simon Sutton, president, global distribution, HBO: "We are thrilled to extend and deepen our valued and long-standing relationship with AT&T by announcing this groundbreaking agreement. This deal will deliver the best in TV programming to viewers across AT&T's multi-platform experience. The entertainment landscape has evolved and we are excited to innovate on both AT&T's traditional and new platforms to further provide premium quality, extraordinary value and accessibility to viewers anywhere."

Sling TV, Dish Network’s OTT-TV service for cord-cutters, is broadening its premium slate with the addition of Cinemax.

Sling TV subs can get a single stream of Cinemax for $10 per month, on top of the service’s core “Best of Live TV” package, which runs $20 per month. Sling TV’s Cinemax offering includes the network’s live linear feed, plus a library of more than 500 VOD titles, including originals such as The Knick, Banshee, Strike Back, as well as upcoming series such as Quarry and Outcast. Sling TV noted that its Cinemax VOD vault will offer the same titles that are available via Max Go, the premium programmer’s authenticated TV Everywhere app.

Sling TV is extending access to Cinemax about 10 months after it began to bundle in HBO, for an additional $15 per month. Sling TV also offers EPIX in its $5 per month Hollywood Extra add-on package.

"Sling TV is the first live standalone Internet TV service to deliver Cinemax to an audience of cord-cutters and cord-nevers,” said Roger Lynch, CEO of Sling TV, in a statement. “This announcement comes only days after we celebrated Sling TV’s one-year anniversary. Over the past year, we’ve established a history of industry firsts, and the addition of Cinemax is evidence of our intent to uphold this swift innovative pace.”

Verizon Communications is offering customers another freebie, though this time it’s not about FreeBee Data, its new ad-sponsored mobile data service.

Instead, the focus is on FiOS TV and pumping up its premium offerings. The telco has rolled out a try-before-you-buy feature called Free View that lets subs check out premium channels, including HBO, Showtime, Starz, EPIX, or Cinemax, for free for a 48-hour period.

Free View, activated with the remote control,  provides that temporary access to one of those aforementioned premium channels (live feeds, plus VOD) for two days via the set-top or the FiOS Mobile App.

Customers can activate one 48-hour preview of each premium channel once per year, Verizon said.  

Continuing to expand its original programming slate, Cinemax has picked up Outcast, a new 10-episode drama series created and executive produced by The Walking Dead showrunner Robert Kirkman and Chris Black.

Like The Walking Dead, Outcast is based on a Kirkman-penned comic book. It stars Patrick Fugit (Gone Girl) as Kyle Barnes, the victim of a series of demonic possessions who searches for redemption as he sequesters himself from those he loves. Enter Reverend Anderson (Philip Glenister, Life on Mars), a West Virginia evangelist who walks a fine line between fighting God's holy war and his own drinking and gambling, who seeks to help Barnes get his old life back. Meanwhile, across town, an eight-year-old who appears to be possessed, Joshua Austin (Gabriel Bateman), may be connected to Barnes by his demon.

Adam Wingard (The Guest) directed the pilot episode of Outcast. The supernatural-themed series is produced for Cinemax by Fox International Channels, which will also distribute it outside the U.S. Other EPs include David Alpert of Circle of Confusion, Sharon Tal Yguado of FIC and Sue Naegle, formerly president of HBO Entertainment.

“We are thrilled to be in business with Robert Kirkman, a visionary talent who has the unique ability to tap into today’s zeitgeist, making him a perfect fit for the newly expanded Cinemax roster,” Michael Lombardo, HBO Programming president, said in a statement on Thursday (Feb. 12).

Earlier on Thursday Cinemax announced it was renewing original series Banshee for a fourth season.

Premium network Showtime has renewed the original Alan Ball series Banshee for a fourth season of eight episodes to run in 2016, the network announced.

The Emmy Award-winning drama series -- in 2013 for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Supporting Role -- is currently airing its third season. The plot centers around the town of Banshee, Pa., where ex-con and master thief Lucas Hood (Antony Starr) has assumed the identity of the local sheriff; Hood continues his criminal pursuits while enforcing his own code of justice.

Cast members and crew returning for Season 4 will be announced as they are confirmed, Showtime said.

Banshee was created by David Schickler and Jonathan Tropper, who is also an executive producer with Alan Ball (True Blood, Six Feet Under), Greg Yaitanes and Peter Macdissi; Robert F. Phillips is producer.

Cinemax’s new drama series The Knick drew 1.7 million viewers across its premiere weekend, said network officials.

In its Feb. 8 premiere, the series – which looks at an operations staff at a New York hospital in the 1900s – drew 354,000 viewers and an additional 303,000 viewers across the night’s three replays, said the network.

An additional airing of The Knick premiere series on HBO this past Saturday drew another 533,000 viewers, said network officials.

The first episode of The Knick is also currently available on Youtube.

Beverly Hills -- Cinemax wasted no time greenlighting a second season of its original drama series The Knick, ahead of the series’ official debut Aug. 8.

The announcement of a second season for the Steven Soderbergh-produced series was made during HBO’s Television Critics Association summer tour presentation Thursday. The Knick, which centers on Knickerbocker Hospital and the groundbreaking surgeons working there during the early 1900s, stars Clive Owen.