HBO Max has a new way for people to check out its library of content. Starting today, you can watch the pilot episodes of select series, including Game of Thrones, Lovecraft Country and Gossip Girl, on Snapchat and do so while chatting with up to 63 other people.
The ability to watch HBO Max content through Snapchat comes courtesy of the Minis functionality Snap introduced last June. The tool allows third-party developers to offer pared-down versions of their apps within Snapchat. So far, some of the more popular developers to offer Minis include Headspace, but HBO Max is the first major streamer to use the feature to let people view its content.
You can start the HBO Max Mini by tapping on the rocket icon in chat or using the search feature to find it. Before you can see a list of available episodes, the app will ask you to verify your age. You don’t need an HBO Max subscription to watch any of the pilots, but the Mini will prompt users over the age of 18 to sign up for the service. Once a session is underway, up to 63 other people can join one, and you can chat with everyone else watching the episode and share Bitmoji reactions.
HBO Max isn’t the first streaming service to use another platform to attract users. Before its all too predictable death, Quibi let people watch pilots of its originals on YouTube.