HBO to make 500 hours of programming free-to-view

US cabler HBO is making almost 500 hours of programming free to stream for a limited time via its HBO Now and HBO Go on demand services as a gesture of goodwill to people stuck at home – effective immediately.

The Sopranos

This is the first time that HBO has made this volume of content available outside of the paywall and it has not yet announced how long access will remain free.

The WarnerMedia outfit – which is poised to launch new streaming service HBO Max next month – has said that it is making the programming free to “provide some entertainment relief for those doing their part to keep everyone safe and healthy in this time of social isolation.”

The line-up on offer includes every episode of some of HBO’s most popular content, including The Sopranos, The Wire, Veep and Six Feet Under, as well as blockbusters from its current catalogue, such as Pokémon Detective Pikachu, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part and Crazy, Stupid, Love.

All of the programming will be available to stream without a subscription by downloading the HBO Now or HBO Go apps or by visiting hbonow.com or hbogo.com.

The content will also be made available for free via participating distribution partners’ platforms in the coming days.