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‘Sopranos’ & ‘Veep’ for free: To keep people inside, HBO’s streaming some programs outside paywalls

The list of series that will be free for a limited time also includes "The Wire" and "Six Feet Under." Plus, some 30-day free trials that could keep you inside for a while.

James Gandolfini (left), Steven Van Zandt, and Tony Sirico in "The Sopranos," one of several series that HBO is temporarily making free to non-subscribers through its apps.
James Gandolfini (left), Steven Van Zandt, and Tony Sirico in "The Sopranos," one of several series that HBO is temporarily making free to non-subscribers through its apps.Read moreHBO
    by Ellen Gray
    Published 

HBO’s idea for helping to flatten the curve? Binge-watching The Sopranos.

In a campaign it’s dubbed #StayHomeBoxOffice, the premium cable network is making nearly 500 hours of programming available to stream on its apps or online, with no subscription required.

» READ MORE: Here's a guide to other great entertainment playing at your house this weekend, from Meghan Markle, Neil Young, and lots of Philadelphia favorites

The list of series that are free for a limited time include not only the celebrated mob drama, but Veep, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Ballers, Barry, Silicon Valley, Succession, and True Blood. A number of Warner Bros. movies, including Crazy, Stupid, Love, and The Lego Movie 2, are also part of the deal.

(HBO is a division of WarnerMedia. HBO Max, the streaming service that, perhaps not coincidentally, is scheduled to launch sometime next month, will add Warner Bros. programming, including Friends, to HBO’s. It’s also expected to offer its own content.)

To stream without a subscription, download the HBO Now or HBO Go apps or visit hbonow.com or hbogo.com. No registration is required, and the free programming is clearly marked.

If that’s not enough to keep you on the couch for the duration of stay-at-home orders, a number of other streaming services are currently offering 30-day free trials, instead of the more usual seven days. (You’ll need to give them a credit card, so set a reminder if you don’t think you’ll stay, and make sure you’re signing up for the right deal, especially if a promo code’s required.)

Besides Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu, which all offer the first 30 days free, you can try these:

  1. Showtime. See the final season of Homeland, which wraps up eight nail-biting seasons on April 26, or start from the beginning. Where to sign up: Sho.com. Cost after trial: $10.99 a month.

  2. Acorn. The Brit-centric home of Doc Martin and Slings and Arrows is temporarily extending its free trial to new members. Promo code: FREE30. Where to sign up: Acorn.tv. Cost after trial: $5.99 a month/$59.99 a year.

  3. CBS All Access. Has The Good Fight, the sizzling sequel to The Good Wife, as well as Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard as well as lots of CBS shows. Where to sign up: CBS.com. Cost after trial: $5.99 a month with ads, $9.99 without.

  4. Hallmark Movies Now. What could be more soothing? Besides movies and drama series, Hallmark’s the home of Meet the Peetes, the family-friendly reality series starring Mount Airy’s Holly Robinson Peete and her former Eagles quarterback husband Rodney. Where to sign up: hmnow.com. Cost after trial: $4.99 a month/$59.99 a year.

  5. Urban Movie Channel. African American-focused programming, including the Jane Austen homage Pride and Prejudice Atlanta and Behind Her Faith, in which Aisha Hinds, Essence Atkins, Angelica Nwandu, and Niecy Nash talk about their personal journeys. Promo code: WETV. Where to sign up: umc.tv/landing/wetv. Cost after trial: $4.99 a month/$49.99 a year.