Skip to main content
UX Content
  • Case Studies
  • UX Bites
  • Cheatsheets
  • Psychology
BFM+
  • Instant Feedback
  • MCP
  • Figma Plugin
  • Tiers & pricing
  • Free newsletter
  • Log in
Other
  • Archive
  • About
  • Help
  • Changelog
Services
UX audits

A complete audit of your user experience, delivered in a format that you can't ignore.

Book an audit

Built for Mars Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales (Company No. 12731987).

Account
  • Log inAccess your library and activities
  • SubscribeUnlock all features and access to the library
Learn from the best companies in the world

A library of content that even non-designers find interesting.

Subscribe todaySubscribe today
Structured learning
  • UX BootcampEnroll in a 5-week bootcamp
  • PathwaysCreate custom learning Pathways to work towards any goal, industry or topic
  • CollectionsBrowse Case Studies by key topics
  • QuizzesTest your knowledge
Explore the library
  • Case StudiesSlideshows that are packed with research
  • UX BitesReal examples of design magic
  • CheatsheetsQuickly level up in a particular area
  • Product PsychologyLearn the essentials
  • NewsletterGet research straight to your inbox
  • CompaniesBrowse by company
Learn from the best companies in the world

A library of content that even non-designers find interesting.

Subscribe todaySubscribe today
Tools to help you
  • AI InsightsUpload screenshots of your design, and get instant feedback from our AI
  • MCPAccess the entire library from your favourite agent
  • Figma pluginAccess our AI tools, and our entire library, directly from Figma
One-to-one help
  • UX AuditsThe fast-track for growth
Includes tools that help you ship better products

Learning never stops, but sometimes you need a little more.

Subscribe todaySubscribe today
Log inSubscribe today
Home
Case Studies
HBO's Beautiful Design Is Also Terrible UX

How to get the most from Case Studies

BFM+Exclusive

HBO's Beautiful Design Is Also Terrible UX

8 mins
about HBO
HBO large image
  • Case study on HBO Max

HBO Max; another streaming service battling Netflix, Amazon, Disney and Hulu for your attention.

And although they have a catalogue of content that people love—like Game of Thrones—their app is the worst-rated across both the Apple and Google app stores.

Review on IOS: "Content is great, app is embarrassing"

From what I can tell, that quote is fairly representative of the public consensus—backed up by more than 30 million ratings, across the 8 major streaming services.

Here's how they compare:

Apple store ratings

2.8
4.0
4.5
4.5
4.6
4.6
4.6
4.7
4.7

Avg. rating /5

Google Play store ratings

Apple G
2*
HBO G
3.6
Peacock G
3.8
Para G
3.9
Netflix G
4.4
Disney G
4.5
Hulu G
4.5
Amazon G
4.6
Roku G
4.6

Avg. rating /5

* This Apple TV result appears to be a mixture of biased ratings, and genuine compatibility problems with unusual Android devices.

What's interesting though, is that despite surplus user feedback condemning the app, the overall experience is actually quite good.

Instead, as you'll see throughout this case study, the app suffers from poor UX judgement, a lack of finesse and a focus on style over function.

And without that specificity, product managers may be overwhelmed by the volume of negative feedback. 

Here's exactly what's wrong, and what you can learn from it.

Case study on HBO Max

Peter Ramsey, Built for Mars Founder

Written by Peter Ramsey

Consultant to 100+ companies

Part of:
Teardowns
Published: 05/09/2022
Last edited: 01/04/2025

Other popular case studies

Case Study:
Granola logoGranola

7 mins

Why Granola's Lack of Onboarding Backfires When You Test It

Granola logo
Start study
Case Study:
Twitch logoTwitch

8 mins

Twitch Celebrates the Wrong Thing (and Misses the Aha Moment)

Twitch logo
Start study
Case Study:
Built for Mars logoBuilt for Mars

8 mins

Why Adding Friction Improved Built for Mars' Conversion Rate by 25%

Bfmyellow
Subscribe to unlock
Preview
Case Study:
Hinge logoHinge

6 mins

How Hinge Keeps You Engaged (Not Romantically)

Hinge logo
Subscribe to unlock
Preview
Case Study:
Waze logoGoogle Maps logoApple Maps logo

6 mins

Google is Hollowing out Waze, and that's a Problem for Apple

Wazelogo
Subscribe to unlock
Preview
Case Study:
Costa logoCosta

8 mins

How To Design A Loyalty Scheme That Actually Motivates People

Costa Coffee Logo 1
Subscribe to unlock
Preview