Translation: this might have been a success if handled by anybody else but AT&T.
"HBO Max is full of potential, but its biggest hurdle remains AT&T’s messy execution"
https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/26/21268490/hbo-max-launch-price-warnermedia-att-dc-harry-potter-friends-disney-netflix-peacock
If they supported the #1 hardware streaming device for TVs (roku), they might actually have to support the #2 hardware device also. So they chose not to support amazon fireTV either. That way they can claim they don't discriminate against any vendor.
How can they not even support roku devices? Not that the price alone wouldn't do me in, but if it doesn't run on all my devices, why do they think that's an acceptable solution?
It also says a lot even when one of the FAQ's on their own site attempts to describe the difference between all the different flavors of HBO.