U.K. and Irish viewers will finally get the chance to access the HBO Max streaming service directly, as its owner Warner Bros. Discover has confirmed its app will launch across Europe early next year.
The service will become available in Germany, Italy, Austria and Switzerland first, on January 13, with the U.K. and Ireland launch slated for March.
HBO Max is one of the world’s top streaming services and it’s widely available in many parts of the world, but it’s not available in a lot of European countries because Warner Bros. has agreements with various broadcasters in the region, giving them exclusive access to some of its content.
For instance, in the U.K., some HBO Max content can be found on Sky’s satellite and streaming service packages, and because of that agreement, Warner Bros. has held back from launching the official app here.
However, the company has apparently reached a deal that will allow it to launch the app in European countries where it has so far been unavailable.
HBO Max will launch in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland and also Luxembourg and Liechtenstein in January, with registration opening just a few days before. Then, in March, the app will come to U.K. and Irish audiences.
HBO Max content will still be available on Sky, the company said, but it might get a bit confusing. Once the app goes live, all existing shows and movies will continue to be available through the same Sky channels as they are now, including any new seasons added to those existing shows. However, entirely new shows will only be available on the standalone HBO Max service, an ad-supported version of which is available for all Sky customers.
In other words, Sky customers will still be able to access HBO Max’s new stuff, but it will appear on a different channel to the one they currently use.
Strangely, the launch announcement comes just ahead of a planned sale of HBO Max. Warner Bros. Discovery has publicly announced it intends to sell the platform, along with its famed studio, and firms including Comcast, Netflix and Paramount have all made official bids to acquire them.
It’s expected that the winning bidder will be announced soon, and the deal could be concluded before the end of the year. So, by the time the HBO Max app launches in the U.K., it may well have a different owner, and that clearly means there’s potential for the arrangement to change.
For instance, if Netflix buys it, it’s likely that Sky subscribers with the Netflix package will also get full access to HBO Max content as part of that deal, assuming the streaming giant decides to merge the two services.
Alternatively, if Comcast wins, it may well just merge HBO Max with Sky (which it owns) and make it a proper part of its own offerings. That could mean the HBO Max app is retired, and may not launch at all. Paramount also has its own streaming service, called Paramount+, which is less popular than Netflix or Sky. But, if it merges the two services, it would suddenly become a much more compelling platform.
The HBO Max app offers content from Warner Bros., the HBO channel and its very own Max Originals, with some of its top shows including Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Chernobyl, The Pitt, Euphoria and The White Lotus. Its movie catalogue includes titles such as Superman, Dune, Harry Potter and The Lord of the Rings. It’s also planning to launch a new blockbuster Max Originals series called The Knight of the Seven Kingdoms early next year.
As with Netflix and others, some of HBO Max’s titles are offered in Dolby Vision and HDR10, as well as with Dolby Atmos surround sound, via its premium plans.
