Cinemax facts for kids
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| Type | Pay television network |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Broadcast area | Nationwide |
| Headquarters | 30 Hudson Yards, New York City |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) (downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the network's SDTV channel feeds) |
| Timeshift service | |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Warner Bros. Discovery |
| Parent | Home Box Office |
| Key people |
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| Sister channels |
List
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| History | |
| Launched | August 1, 1980 |
| Availability | |
| Streaming media | |
| Max |
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| Apple TV Channels | Over-the-top TV
Available feeds
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| Amazon Video Channels | Over-the-top TV
Available feeds
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| The Roku Channel | Over-the-top TV
Available feeds
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Cinemax (also called Max) is an American TV channel that you pay to watch. It's owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. It started on August 1, 1980, as a partner to HBO.
When it first started, Cinemax showed mostly new and old movies. Today, it still shows a lot of movies, plus action TV shows, documentaries, and special behind-the-scenes videos.
Cinemax was one of the first TV services to offer many channels at once, starting in 1991. It now has eight channels that play all day. You can also watch its shows and movies on demand, meaning you can pick what to watch whenever you want.
Cinemax works out of 30 Hudson Yards in New York City, along with HBO.
The Story of Cinemax
How Cinemax Started (1980-1989)
In the late 1970s, Home Box Office, Inc. (which owned HBO) wanted to create another TV channel. They tried a channel called "Take 2" in 1979, which showed movies for families. But it didn't get many viewers.
So, in 1980, HBO decided to launch a new movie channel called Cinemax. It was meant to be a partner channel to HBO. Cinemax started on August 1, 1980, in some parts of the United States. A West Coast version launched a month later.
At first, Cinemax showed movies for about 11 hours a day. It focused on classic films from the 1930s to the 1960s, along with newer movies. The channel promised "all uncut and commercial-free" movies.
Cinemax quickly became popular. Many people wanted to watch movies without commercials. Cable companies often offered Cinemax as a package deal with HBO, making it a good value for subscribers.
On January 1, 1981, Cinemax started broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week. This was a big deal because not many channels did that back then.
In the mid-1980s, Cinemax started to add other types of shows. It had music videos called MaxTrax and music specials. It also showed some comedy series like Second City Television and The Max Headroom Show. Comedy specials, called Cinemax Comedy Experiment, also aired. But movies remained the main focus.
Changes Over Time (1989-2016)
In 1990, HBO's parent company, Time Inc., merged with Warner Communications to form Time Warner. This meant Cinemax and HBO became part of a much larger media company.
By 1990, Cinemax mostly showed movies again. From 1992 to 1997, it had special movie blocks for different genres each day. For example, Mondays were for comedy, and Saturdays were for action movies.
In 1997, Cinemax changed its look and stopped the daily genre blocks. It started showing a main movie at 8:00 p.m. ET ("Max Hits at 8") and another at 10:00 p.m. ET ("Max Prime at 10").
As more Cinemax channels launched, classic films from the 1940s to 1970s moved to channels like 5StarMax. The main Cinemax channel began to show more recent movies from the 1990s onward.
In 2001, Cinemax started showing some big movies and lesser-known films before HBO did. Then, in 2011, Cinemax decided to make its own original TV shows, focusing on action series for adults.
Recent Years (2016-Present)
After AT&T bought Time Warner in 2018, Cinemax's focus changed again. The company decided to focus more on its new streaming service, HBO Max.
In 2020, WarnerMedia announced that Cinemax would stop making new original shows. Instead, it would go back to being mainly a movie channel. Any original shows Cinemax had, like Warrior, moved to HBO Max.
In 2021, AT&T and Discovery, Inc. merged to create Warner Bros. Discovery. This big company now owns Cinemax, HBO, and many other channels. In 2023, the streaming service was renamed to just Max.
Cinemax Around the World
Cinemax is not just in the United States. It also has versions in other parts of the world:
- In Latin America, Cinemax started in 1993. It shows movies and TV series. Since 2010, it has become a basic cable movie channel that shows commercials.
- In Asia, Cinemax launched in 1996. It focuses on action, comedy, science-fiction, and western movies.
- In Central Europe, Cinemax started in 2005. It mainly shows independent, European, and classic movies. These channels are available in countries like Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland.
Cinemax Channels
More Channels for More Choices
In 1991, Home Box Office Inc. decided to offer more channels for both HBO and Cinemax. They called these "multiplexed" channels, like having many movie screens in one theater. The idea was to give subscribers more choices and make them less likely to cancel their subscriptions. People often felt there wasn't "anything on worth watching" or that shows didn't air at good times.
By adding more channels, viewers could find something they wanted to watch more often. This helped keep subscribers happy. Cinemax expanded to three channels in 1996.
In 1998, Cinemax launched its "MultiMax" package, which included four channels. Cinemax 2 became MoreMax, and Cinemax 3 became ActionMax, focusing on action and adventure films. A new channel, ThrillerMax, also launched for mystery and horror movies.
In 2001, four more themed channels were added: OuterMax (for sci-fi and fantasy), WMax (for films with women), @Max (for younger adults), and 5StarMax (for critically acclaimed and classic films). Later, WMax and @Max changed their names to MovieMax and Cinemáx.
List of Channels
Cinemax offers up to eight channels, all available in both standard and high definition. These channels also have different feeds for the East and West Coasts, so shows air at the right local time.
| Channel | What You Can Watch |
|---|---|
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Cinemax |
This is the main channel. It shows big blockbuster movies, new films, and some original action shows. New movies often premiere on Saturday nights. |
 MoreMax |
Launched in 1991, this channel is similar to the main Cinemax but has a different schedule. It also shows foreign, independent, and art films. It was first called "Cinemax 2." |
 ActionMax |
Launched in 1998, ActionMax shows action movies, including westerns, war films, and martial arts movies. It has a special "Heroes at 8" movie block every night. |
 ThrillerMax |
Launched in 1998, ThrillerMax focuses on mystery, suspense, horror, and thriller movies. It has a "When the Clock Strikes 10" block every night. |
 5StarMax |
Launched in 2001, 5StarMax shows modern classics, award-winning films, and timeless movie classics. It features a classic movie every night. |
 MovieMax |
This channel shows movies for young adults (ages 18-34). It used to be called WMax and focused on films for women. |
 OuterMax |
Launched in 2001, OuterMax plays science fiction, horror, and fantasy films. It has a late-night "Graveyard Shift" block for sci-fi or horror movies. |
 Cinemáx |
This channel is a Spanish version of Cinemax. It shows Hollywood movies and original series dubbed in Spanish. Other Cinemax channels also offer Spanish audio. |
Other Ways to Watch Cinemax
Cinemax HD
Cinemax HD is the high-definition version of Cinemax. It offers a clearer picture and better sound. Most TV providers now offer all eight Cinemax channels in HD.
Cinemax On Demand
Cinemax On Demand lets you watch movies and shows from Cinemax whenever you want. If you subscribe to Cinemax, you usually get this service for free. You can also find Cinemax content on streaming services like Apple TV Channels, Amazon Video Channels, and The Roku Channel.
Cinemax Go
Cinemax Go was a streaming service that let Cinemax subscribers watch shows and movies on their computers or mobile devices. It was shut down in 2022. Now, many of its shows and movies can be found on the Max streaming service.
What's On Cinemax?
Movies
Movies make up most of the schedule on Cinemax and its other channels. New movies usually premiere on Cinemax about eight months to a year after they are in theaters.
Cinemax gets its movies from major film studios through special agreements. These include:
- Warner Bros. Pictures Group (which includes New Line Cinema and DC Films)
- Paramount Pictures (for older films)
- Universal Pictures (which includes DreamWorks Animation and Illumination)
- Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures (which includes 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures)
- Sony Pictures Entertainment (which includes Columbia Pictures and Screen Gems)
- Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (which includes United Artists and Orion Pictures)
Movies that air on HBO often also appear on Cinemax. Cinemax usually shows movies rated R, PG-13, or PG. It rarely shows G-rated films. Cinemax also makes its own documentary films called Cinemax Reel Life.
Original Shows
From 2011 to 2020, Cinemax started making its own original action TV series. These shows were aimed at adults. The first big original show was Strike Back in 2011. Other popular shows included Hunted, Banshee, and The Knick.
In 2020, Cinemax stopped making new original shows. Its last original series, Warrior, moved to HBO Max.
Past Show Blocks
Over the years, Cinemax has had many special movie blocks and shows:
- Drive-In Saturday Night (1984-1993): Featured cult films and action movies.
- Cinemax Comedy Experiment (1985-1988): Showcased original comedy specials.
- Cinemax Director's Chair (1985-1993): Showed notable films from famous directors.
- Cinemax Western Roundup (1985-1993): Featured western movies.
- Summer of 1000 Movies (1992-2005): An annual film festival that played 1,000 different movies each summer.
- Max Hits at 8 (1997-2001): Showcased a popular movie every night at 8:00 p.m. ET.
See also
In Spanish: Cinemax para niños
