The service also carries first-run original programming under the "Max Originals" banner, programming from the HBOpay television service, and content acquired via either third-party library deals (such as those with film studios for pay television rights) or co-production agreements (including, among others, those withBBC Studios andSesame Workshop). When the service was first launched as HBO Max, it succeeded bothHBO Now, a previous HBO SVOD service; andHBO Go, theTV Everywhere streaming platform for HBO pay television subscribers. In the United States, HBO Now subscribers and HBO pay television subscribers were migrated to HBO Max at no additional charge, subject to availability and device support. HBO Max also supplanted the streaming component ofDC Entertainment'sDC Universe service, with its original series being migrated to HBO Max as Max Originals. The HBO Max service began to expand into international markets in 2021.
According toAT&T,[b] HBO and HBO Max had a combined total of 69.4 million paying subscribers globally on June 30, 2021, including 43.5 million HBO Max subscribers in the U.S., 3.5 million HBO-only U.S. subscribers (primarily commercial customers like hotels), and 20.5 million subscribers to either HBO Max or HBO by itself in other countries.[3] By the end of 2021, HBO and HBO Max had a combined total of 73.8 million paying global subscribers.[4][5] At the end of Q1 2022, HBO and HBO Max had 76.8 million global subscribers.[6]
Since the April 2022 merger ofWarnerMedia withDiscovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), HBO Max is one of the combined company's two flagship streaming services, the other beingDiscovery+ (which primarily focuses onfactual andreality programming from the Discovery brands). WBD initially announced plans for HBO Max and Discovery+ to merge in 2023, but the company ultimately chose to retain Discovery+. As part of the decision, WBD migrated some Discovery+ shows to Max while also leaving them on Discovery+. WBD went on to replace HBO Max with a newly rebranded service, shortening the service's name to "Max", which launched in the United States on May 23, 2023, in Latin America and Caribbean on February 27, 2024, and in Europe on May 21, 2024, introducing a redesigned user interface, and adding more Discovery content. The rebrand was also applied to Netherlands, Poland, France, and several other regions in 2024. In Belgium and the Netherlands, the name "HBO Max" was retained with a new Max logo. As of May 2025, Discovery+ and Max have reached a combined total of 122.3 million subscribers.[7] On May 14, 2025, it was announced that the HBO Max branding would return, reverting to its original name on July 9, 2025.[8]
First logo used from October 29, 2019, to May 22, 2023, in the United States. Used outside of the United States until June 11, 2024.
On October 10, 2018, WarnerMedia announced that it would launch anover-the-topstreaming service in late 2019, featuring content from its entertainment brands.[9] The original plan for the service called for three tiers with a late 2019 launch.[10]Randall L. Stephenson, chairman and CEO of WarnerMedia's parent,AT&T indicated in mid-May 2019 that it would use the HBO brand and would tie into cable operators as HBO cable subscribers would have access to the streaming service. A beta was expected in the fourth quarter of 2019 and a full launch in the first quarter of 2020 at the time.[11]
Otter Media was transferred in May 2019 to WarnerMedia Entertainment fromWarner Bros. to take over the streaming service as Brad Bentley, executive vice president and general manager of direct-to-consumer development, exited the post after six months. Andy Forssell transferred from being the chief operating officer of Otter to replace Bentley as executive vice president and general manager while still reporting to Otter CEO Tony Goncalves, who would lead development.[12]
On July 9, 2019, WarnerMedia announced that the service would be known as HBO Max and that it would launch in spring 2020, whileReese Witherspoon'sHello Sunshine andGreg Berlanti were signed to production deals for the service. (The "Max" moniker is shared with HBO's sister linear pay television serviceCinemax, which has alternately identified by its suffix name since the mid-1980s and used it prominently in its branding from 2008 to 2011.)[13] On October 29, 2019, it was announced that HBO Max would officially launch in May 2020.[14]
On January 8, 2020, AT&T announced thatAudience, a channel exclusive to subscribers of AT&T-owned television providers such asDirecTV with some original programming, would be sunset on May 22, eventually transitioning to abarker channel for HBO Max.[15]Warner Bros. and HBO Max announced theWarner Max film label on February 5, 2020, which would produce eight to ten mid-budget movies per year for the streaming service starting in 2020.[16] On April 20, 2020, WarnerMedia announced HBO Max's launch date as May 27.[17] Later that year on October 23, it was announced that WarnerMedia decided to consolidate the Warner Max label into the Warner Bros. Pictures Group after its chairman,Toby Emmerich, and his development and production team led by Courtenay Valenti of Warner Bros. Pictures, Richard Brener of New Line and Walter Hamada (who oversees DC-based films), was put to manage the company's entire film output, both theatrical and streaming releases.[18][19][20]
In July 2022, as a part of a cost-cutting and strategic move following the merger ofDiscovery, Inc. with WarnerMedia to formWarner Bros. Discovery (WBD), it was reported that HBO Max had ceased new original series development inCentral Europe,Nordic Europe, theNetherlands, andTurkey, as well as removed selected international series from the platform worldwide. It was reported that France and Spain had been largely excluded from these cuts, due to French regulations requiring streaming services to produce domestic content, and Spanish-language content appealing to a wide range of markets served by HBO Max.[21][22][23] With the cancellation ofGordita Chronicles later that month, it was reported that the service was also abandoning development of live-action children's and family programming.[24]
On August 3, 2022, it was reported that multiple Max Original films and HBO series had been quietly removed from the service without prior notice as part of cuts to direct-to-streaming films. The company thenwrote off films and series that had underperformed on the service.[25][26] It was also thought that avoiding payment forresiduals played a part.[27] This followed news that had broken the previous day that then-upcoming Max Original filmsBatgirl andScoob! Holiday Haunt had been both abruptly cancelled, despite being nearly complete.[28][29] During an earnings call the next day, WBD CEODavid Zaslav stated that the company would cut children's programming and emphasize theatrical films over direct-to-streaming releases.[30][31]
During its third-quarter earnings report in November 2022, WBD stated that the merged service was now targeting a "Spring 2023" launch in the U.S., ahead of the original schedule. Perrette also stated of a potential price increase for HBO Max's ad-free tier in 2023, explaining that it was "an opportunity, particularly in this environment".[40] A price hike for the ad-free tier in the U.S. was later announced on January 12, 2023, which saw the price raised by $1 to $15.99 a month (the yearly plan would be unaffected by this move), effective immediately for new subscribers, while current subscribers would see the price hike starting on February 11, 2023.[41]
First Max logo used from April 12, 2023, to March 30, 2025, appeared in blue
On March 14, 2022, after Discovery shareholders approved its merger with WarnerMedia, Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels stated that the company planned to pursue an eventual merger of HBO Max with its own streaming serviceDiscovery+. Wiedenfels stated that this process would most likely begin with a bundle of the two services as a short-term option, with a long-term goal to eventually merge the services into one platform.[42]
During an earnings call in August 2022, WBD head of Global Streaming and Interactive JB Perrette revealed that Discovery+ and HBO Max would merge "next Summer", with the unified service launching first in the United States, and rolled out to other markets beginning in late-2023.[31] When announcing the merged service, Zaslav did not immediately indicate whether it would continue to carry the HBO brand. He stated that HBO was one of the "great crown jewels of the company" and would "always be the beacon and the ultimate brand that stands for the best of television quality".[43] In early-December 2022, it was reported by CNBC via inside sources that multiple names were being considered—including simply "Max".[44][45]
In February 2023, Zaslav revealed during an earnings call that WBD would officially announce the service on April 12.[46] He also announced that WBD would continue operating Discovery+ in conjunction with the service rather than shut it down, stating that it was profitable, and that its subscribers were "very happy with the product offering".[46] One day before the scheduled announcement,The New York Times confirmed that the service would be called "Max", and that it would retain HBO Max's existing pricing and be available in multiple price tiers for six months (on December 5 its legacy ad-free tier will be removed with former users in this tier downgrading to the ads-supported tier after this date).[47][48] WBD acquired the max.comdomain name earlier that year from Max International, anutritional supplement company,[49] for $1.8 million.[50]
WBD officially unveiled Max on April 12: the new service would first launch in the United States on May 23, and in other regions throughout 2023 and 2024. While the new service maintains similar price points to HBO Max, support for4K resolution video andDolby Atmos became exclusive to the new "Ultimate" tier, and the ad-free plan was also reduced from four concurrent streams to two.[51] In addition to all Warner Bros. Pictures releases from 2023 onward, WBD plans to have more library films and television series available on Max in 4K.[49][52][51]
Perrette explained that the HBO branding had been dropped from the service's name so that it could be associated with itsoriginal programming as a flagship brand on Max, rather than having to be associated with the entirety of its library—which included children's and family programming at odds with HBO having traditionally been associated withpremium and adult-oriented programming.[53][54] The Max logo was designed by the British agency DixonBaxi, and incorporates elements of both the HBO and Warner Bros. logos, including a center-dotted "a" resembling the center-dotted "O" from the HBO logo, and the "m" and "x" letters containing curves based on Warner Bros.' long-time shield logo. The service also changed its corporate color from purple to blue, in homage to Warner Bros.' historical use of blue-colored logos, and to reflect a value of being "premium but accessible".[55][56]
The rebrand was promoted with the tagline "The one to watch".[57][58] Pato Spagnoletto, chief marketing officer of Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming, identified the campaign as the largest marketing spend in company history.[56][59] WBD's stock fell by nearly six percent after Max's announcement.[60] Within the first 3 months of Max's rebrand, WBD lost 1.8 million subscribers across their streaming platforms, but attributed it to an overlap of subscribers of Max and Discovery+, as well as expected churn.[61] In November 2023, it was reported that WBD lost 2.5 million subscribers over a six-month period, with their shares falling 19% as a result.[62]
In May 2024, WBD announced a partnership withDisney Streaming to offer a bundle of Max withDisney+ andHulu in the United States, It was launched on July 25, 2024, at a price of $16.99 per-month for ad-supported, and $29.99 per-month for ad-free.[63][64]
Final Max logo used from March 30, 2025, to July 9, 2025.
In February 2025, Max soft-launched a rebranding as part of its launch in Australia, changing its corporate colors from blue to monochrome; media outlets noted that this design (which uses silver or black-colored logos) closer-resembled the branding of HBO itself. The rebrand was launched globally on March 30, 2025.[65][66][67]
On May 14, 2025, during its upfronts, WBD announced plans to globally rename the service back to "HBO Max" later in the year. Zaslav explained that "the powerful growth we have seen in our global streaming service is built around the quality of our programming". CEO of HBO and Max Content Casey Bloys added that the HBO brand "clearly states our implicit promise to deliver content that is recognized as unique and, to steal a line we always said at HBO, worth paying for."[68] On June 10, 2025, it was announced that HBO Max would expand its global rollout to 12 countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where it would launch in July 2025.[69] On July 8, 2025, it was reported that the rebranding back to HBO Max would begin to roll out on July 9, withVariety reporting that WBD executives wanted it to take effect before the announcement of the nominations for the77th Primetime Emmy Awards.[70]
Existing HBO Max subscribers were grandfathered under their current plan features for six months; following that period, all legacy ad free customers were moved to the ad free tier (currently called standard tier). Existing ad supported were moved to the ad lite tier, now called basic with ads tier.[73][48]
HBO Max was formed under WarnerMedia's Entertainment division, then headed byRobert Greenblatt.Kevin Reilly, president of WarnerMedia Entertainment Networks, which includes most of the company's ad-supported entertainment channels such asTBS,TNT, andTruTV, was also given the role of as chief content officer of HBO Max with responsibility for HBO Max-exclusive original programming and library content. Andy Forssell was named the service's executive vice president and general manager while still reporting toOtter Media CEO Tony Goncalves, who leads development.[13] Casey Bloys, programming president of HBO, retained oversight of the core HBO service but was not initially involved with Max-exclusive programming.
On August 7, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a significant restructuring under new presidentJason Kilar, which he described as "leaning into this great moment of change" towards direct-to-consumer services. As a result, Greenblatt and Reilly both left the company. WarnerMedia Entertainment was dissolved, with programming operations combined with Warner Bros. in a new Studios and Networks group under that studio's CEO Ann Sarnoff. Bloys was given complete programming oversight of HBO and HBO Max, as well as Reilly's other previous responsibilities, reporting to Sarnoff. Forssell became the head of a new HBO Max operating business unit, reporting directly to Kilar.[74] On April 23, 2021,Adult Swim and HBO Max's adult animation development teams merged under the leadership of Suzanna Makkos.[75]
On August 15, 2022, HBO was reorganized by Warner Bros. Discovery, resulting in layoffs within HBO Max's non-scripted originals, live-action family originals, international originals, and casting units (HBO itself never had an in-house casting department). Makkos also began reporting to HBO's head of comedy Amy Gravitt.[76][77]
HBO Max features first-run and library content from HBO and other Warner Bros. film and television studios and brands.[78][79][80] The service also includes films available through HBO's existing pay television rights that are sourced fromWarner Bros. Pictures only.[79][81][82][83]
As with HBO's other streaming platforms,HBO Go andHBO Now (but as opposed to its add-on services onPrime Video Channels,YouTube Primetime Channels and, until its removal from that platform in 2021,Apple TV Channels), Max originally did not include feeds of HBO's linear cable channels,[84] nor does it include any content fromCinemax.[85] Though Cinemax shares its film content with the linear HBO channel, and therefore the majority of films in the combined library will be on both services in different windows, these films will not necessarily be available on both Max and Cinemax at the same time.[86]
On December 4, 2024, Max added a "Channels" tab offering live feeds of HBO and its linear multiplex channels (with the exception of HBO Family and HBO Latino). Initially available on a limited basis to U.S. subscribers of Max's Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free tiers using adult profiles, the feature will allow users to restart, rewind and fast-forward, and navigate between streams of the linear channel feeds directly from within the player.[87][88]
Original content produced will be under the bannerMax Originals, including series, films, and specials. Original episodic content is released weekly, eschewing the "binge" format made popular byNetflix.Kevin Reilly stated this was to ensure that originals would remain in the spotlight for extended periods, by letting said shows "breathe" as opposed to "fading quickly after a binge and burn". He also noted that the weekly schedule helped to drive the success of past HBO shows likeSuccession andChernobyl which they co-produced withSky UK, and became hits precisely due to their staying power.[98]
A slate of 31 original series were planned for its first year, with plans to expand to 50 for its next year, but production timelines may have been interrupted by theCOVID-19 pandemic.[79] Max also has podcasts about the films and TV series on the service.[100] It also produces original podcasts exclusively for the service, withBatman: The Audio Adventures being the first.[101]
NewWarner Bros.-produced television series that have premiered onThe CW since the2019–20 season beginning withBatwoman,Nancy Drew andKaty Keene (which was cancelled in July 2020) will have their past seasons placed on HBO Max about a month after the season finale airs on television (streaming rights to existing series remains with Netflix under an existing deal).[13] Although theAll American spin-off,All American: Homecoming, which premiered on the CW in 2022, was placed onNetflix with its parent show. On July 9, 2019, HBO Max acquired the U.S. streaming rights toFriends in a $425 million deal,[13][79] and on September 17, 2019, acquired the U.S. streaming rights toThe Big Bang Theory, as part of a deal that also extends TBS's off-network rights to the series through 2028.[102]
Outside of Warner Bros. Discovery, the service also offers titles fromThe Criterion Collection,[103] and has a long-term partnership withBBC Studios (which HBO had previously partnered with to createHis Dark Materials). Over 700 episodes of BBC content were available on the service at launch, including the first 11 seasons of the 2005Doctor Who revival, as well as future seasons twelve through fourteen, and a variety of other shows includingThe Honourable Woman,Luther,Top Gear, and the original British version ofThe Office. Additionally, future shows by BBC Studios will be co-produced with HBO Max.[104]
HBO also extended their existing partnership withSesame Workshop, while moving said content to the front of the HBO Max brand. Select episodes from all fifty seasons ofSesame Street (dating back to 1969) are available to stream on the service for the first time ever.[105] Additionally, future seasons ofSesame Street will stream exclusively on HBO Max until 2025, alongsideEsme & Roy, and several new spin-offs starting withThe Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo,Sesame Street: Mecha Builders, andThe Monster at the End of This Story.[106] On March 8, 2022, WarnerMedia and Sesame Workshop announced they will plan new shows for Cartoon Network for the new original series run and a second run acquisition rights HBO Max, includingCharlotte's Web, andBea's Block as well as the animation specialSesame Street: The Nutcracker. In addition, new episodes to start of the 53rd season ofSesame Street and spin-offs will be available to stream on HBO Max in selecting Asian territories while holding the second run acquisition rights to replace PBS, more than a new first run for Cartoon Network.[107]
In November 2021, HBO Max acquired the rights toGlobo'stelenovelas and series for Latin America and the Caribbean outside of Brazil.[99]
In February 2022,Sony Pictures and WarnerMedia announced that they will extend their agreement to carry films from its subsidiary companies in its Central and Eastern Europe pay television window rights window along with the library of television series produced by its sister companySony Pictures Television Studios, the deal will also include the rights to its releases beginning in 2022 for broadcasting on its channels and will be streaming it on HBO Max throughout Central and Eastern Europe.[90]
All eight films in theHarry Potter series were available to stream on the service on launch day, despite earlier reports indicating that the films, although produced by Warner Bros., would not be available due to a prior broadcast rights agreement withNBCUniversal.[114] It was later announced that the films would be removed on August 25 and made available on NBCUniversal's streaming servicePeacock.[115] However, it officially brought them back on September 1, 2021, after an adjustment in the agreement.[116] On May 29, 2020, HBO Max acquired the exclusive streaming rights toThe Big Bang Theory spin-offYoung Sheldon.[117]
On June 27, 2020, it was revealed thatDC Universe originalHarley Quinn would stream its first two seasons on HBO Max.[123] On June 29, 2020, HBO Max secured the exclusive streaming rights of theOprah Winfrey Network seriesDavid Makes Man.[124] On September 18, 2020, it was announced that all DC Universe content would be migrating to HBO Max, including original shows likeTitans andYoung Justice, which will have their newest seasons air exclusively on the service. In addition, bothDoom Patrol andHarley Quinn have been renewed for third seasons exclusively for the service.[125][126]
In February 2021, it was announced that WarnerMedia's international preschool brandCartoonito would launch in the United States via Cartoon Network and HBO Max later in the year, with a slate of 50 series by 2023.[128][129]
In June 2021, HBO Max ordered a pilot fromJohn Wells andAnimal Kingdom writer Matt Kester forKe Nui Road, an action drama following a team of lifeguards in theNorth Shore ofO'ahu,Hawaii.[130] HBO Max would not go forward with the series, and it would instead be given a series order byFox asRescue: HI-Surf.[131]
In August 2021,Funimation, a subsidiary ofSony, purchased Crunchyroll from AT&T for $1.175 billion, with the intent to create a combined service that caters to anime entertainment.[132] On January 1, 2022, HBO Max removed the Crunchyroll hub, instead redirecting subscribers to a "global animation" page that combines selected anime with other international animated films. Since then, the service has slowly started to remove anime from Crunchyroll's line up.[133]
On November 22, 2021,Disney and WarnerMedia reached a deal to amend the pre-existing contract HBO had with20th Century Studios to allowDisney+ orHulu and HBO Max to share the streaming rights to half of 20th Century Studios' andSearchlight Pictures' 2022 theatrical slate in the United States during the pay-one window, withRon's Gone Wrong being the first film under the deal, becoming available on both Disney+ and HBO Max on December 15, 2021.[134] Disney would still have full streaming rights to any 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures films produced for Disney+ or Hulu, while the Disney deal with WarnerMedia for streaming 20th Century Studios and Searchlight Pictures films on HBO Max ended in 2022, with Disney+ and Hulu assuming the full pay-one rights to those films in the future.
On February 15, 2022, it was announced that first-run episodes ofSouth Park would move toParamount+ beginning with season 27 in 2024, and the series library would move from HBO Max to the service in the United States in 2025.[135]
On August 4, 2022, it was announced that selectedMagnolia Network programs would become available on HBO Max in September 2022. Discovery+ would remain the main streaming home of its programming.[136][137]
On October 7, 2022, HBO Max announcedHarley Quinn: A Very Problematic Valentine's Day Special, which premiered on February 23, 2023.[138]
On October 2, 2024, WBD renewed its contract withprofessional wrestling promotionAll Elite Wrestling (AEW), adding digital rights in the United States to simulcast its weekly television programsDynamite andCollision on Max beginning in January 2025, and library content such as past episodes andpay-per-view (PPV) events. Later in 2025, Max subscribers would also be able to purchase and stream AEW PPVs through the platform at a discount. While they would be still sold via other outlets and partners (such as television providers), promotion would be focused exclusively on Max.[142][143][144][145] This aspect of the contract took effect in September 2025, beginning withAll Out.[146][147]
"Project Popcorn": Warner Bros. same-day premieres
In late 2020, due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, WarnerMedia moved two Warner Bros. films originally intended as major theatrical releases to either exclusive or simultaneous releases on HBO Max.The Witches was released exclusively on HBO Max in the U.S. on October 22,[148] andWonder Woman 1984 debuted simultaneously in North American theaters and on HBO Max on December 25, although the latter was initially only available on the service for a month.[149] Week-long free trials were discontinued in December 2020.[150]
This decision, called "Project Popcorn" within Warner Bros.,[156] was met with backlash from filmmakers, production companies, theDirectors Guild of America, theCreative Artists Agency, and movie theater owners as Warner Bros. had not informed anyone about their plan ahead of the announcement.[157][158][159][160][161] Viewership of the films varied, withMortal Kombat reaching 3.8 million,The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It totaling 1.6 million, andIn the Heights totaling 693,000 (according toSamba TV, as WarnerMedia does not report viewership numbers for HBO Max).[162]
Warner Bros. spent over $200million alone compensating talent for the shift to streaming;Deadline reported in January 2022 that such a business move "will never occur again given its high cost".[156]
In March 2021, it was announced that Warner Bros. would discontinue same-day releases in 2022, as part of an agreement the studio reached withCineworld (who operatesRegal Cinemas) and will instead use a 45-day exclusive release window for theaters.[163]The Matrix Resurrections was the final film released in 2021 as part of Project Popcorn. The 45-day release window for HBO Max was only used for two films (The Batman andFantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore) before it was reported in August 2022 that, as part of a restructuring of Warner Bros' film distribution strategy following the merger of WarnerMedia and Discovery, Inc., the length of the window would now be decided for each film on a case-by-case basis.[164]
On August 13, 2023, CNN announced a new streaming news hub on Max known asCNN Max to launch on September 27, which features a mix of original news programs and simulcasts of primetime programs from CNN's U.S. and international linear networks.[165][166]CNN International is also available through Max in European countries such as France and Poland.[167]
CNN had previously attempted a standalone subscription service in 2022,CNN+, but was closed almost immediately after the completion of the WarnerMedia/Discovery merger due to it conflicting with the company's goal of having one streaming service to encompass all WBD properties.[168][169]
On March 30, 2025, HBO Max has removed this feature on the basic with ads plan.[170]
On October 3, 2025, HBO Max announced that CNN Max will be discontinued on November 17, 2025, and will no longer be available.
On March 1, 2022, Turner Sports announced an eight-year deal to hold rights toUnited States men's andwomen's national soccer team home matches, such as FIFA World Cup qualifying and international friendlies. This excludesFIFA andCONCACAF events, whose rights are held by Fox, and away matches. It was stated that at least half the matches per-season would be exclusive to HBO Max.[171] The first match was streamed on January 17, 2023.[172]
The service was to be available as a free preview until February 29, 2024, after which it was to become an $9.99 add-on on top of an existing Max subscription. However, amid changes to TNT Sports' portfolio (including its impending loss of rights to the NBA in 2025, and other acquisitions such as college sports and international events such as theFrench Open), the launch of the sports add-on as a paid service was delayed indefinitely.[173][174] On February 26, 2025, it was announced that the add-on had been scrapped as part of a change in strategy, and that live sports content would be available at no additional charge as part of the "Standard" and "Premium" tiers of Max (as B/R sports on Max). JB Perrette stated that WBD had been "actively involved in exploring ways to evolve the sports distribution ecosystem in the U.S.", and that offering sports content as part of the existing tiers was the best option for subscribers.[176][177]
Similar to the Bleacher Report Sports add-on in the United States, a sports-focused tier was added to Max in Europe during its launch over the summer of 2024 in conjunction with its pan-European sports brandEurosport. This tier will offer the linear channelsEurosport 1 andEurosport 2, and coverage for various sports events including the2024 Summer Olympics, Giro d'Italia,Vuelta a España, andTour de France.[167]
On July 9, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery announced thatTNT Sports will arrive at Max in Chile the week of July 15 with an innovative proposal where sports fans will be able to subscribe independently or by adding it to the platform's available plans. It will include live events and original content.
From February 2025,TNT Sports content will be available to users with a subscription toPack Fútbol with their enabled cable operator and to TNT Sports subscribers independently.
From October 24, 2024, in Spain, Max has added a newMax DAZN package that costs €44.99 per month, in addition to the Sports package that is optional for the Standard and Premium plans, it includes fourDAZN channels in addition toEurosport with the best sport that fans could wish for.
LaLiga, theUFC, or theFormula 1 andMotoGP world championships will be available to subscribers of theMax DAZN Package, in addition to having all the movies, series and documentaries on the platform with the same advantages as the Premium Plan.[179]
At launch, HBO Max did not support4K,HDR,Dolby Vision, orDolby Atmos, but support for these technologies were planned as "part of the HBO Max product roadmap".[180][181] Support for 4K, HDR, and Atmos was added starting with the release ofWonder Woman 1984,[182][non-primary source needed] with WarnerMedia promising to add more content in these formats throughout 2021 and beyond.[183]
The service providedclosed captioning support at launch, but initially lacked support foraudio description (AD) for those with visual impairments.[184] In October 2020, theAmerican Council of the Blind announced it had reached a settlement with WarnerMedia whereby at least 1,500 hours of HBO Max content will be available with AD by the end of March 2021, increasing to at least 6,000 hours by March 2023, along with otheraccessibility enhancements to the website and apps by September 2021.[185] HBO Max later began rolling out AD on select titles on March 26, 2021.[186]
HBO Max also offers selected content withAmerican Sign Language (ASL)interpretation; in 2025, season 2 ofThe Last of Us became the first television series on a streaming service to offer a signed version of its first-run episodes.[187] In June 2025, tying in with its setting and themes, it was announced thatSinners would become the first film to be offered on a streaming platform inBlack American Sign Language (BASL).[188]
The majority of active subscribers to the HBO pay TV service (which previously included HBO Go), and most customers that were subscribed to HBO Now at time of launch, can access HBO Max for no extra charge, with all three services generally sharing the same price point of $14.99 per month. However, this transition is contingent on the customer's current provider or biller having signed a new distribution agreement for HBO Max with WarnerMedia.[84][189]
On May 27, 2020, as part of an agreement with Time Warner that renewed its carriage contract for theTurner Broadcasting System networks and gave its over-the-top television serviceSling TV distribution rights to the linear HBO channel.Dish Network secured an option to become a distribution partner for HBO Max following the exclusivity period with Apple.[190][191] HBO content is also available as a premium add-on forDirecTV Stream andHulu for the same $14.99 price as HBO Max.[192]
In announcing HBO Max, WarnerMedia immediately confirmed that HBO subscribers on AT&T-owned platforms (includingAT&T TV,DirecTV,U-verse, andAT&T Mobility) would receive HBO Max on-launch at no additional charge.[193][194] AT&T customers who are subscribed to their highest-tiered internet, TV and wireless plans would also receive HBO Max for free, while those on lower-tiered plans will get a free trial ranging from one month to one year.[195] Existing HBO Now subscribers billed directly by HBO were also migrated to HBO Max on-launch at no additional charge. On April 27, 2020, an agreement was announced for HBO Now subscribers via Apple (both in-app subscriptions andApple TV Channels) to be migrated to HBO Max. Content from HBO Max would be listed in theApple TV app along with there being a dedicated HBO Max hub in the app.[196][197] OnApple TV devices, HBO Max is available to the regular fourth generation Apple TV and fifth and sixth generationApple TV 4K; earlier versions which do not support third-party app download are not supported.
WarnerMedia subsequently negotiated with other pay TV providers for similar arrangements.[189] On February 20, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a distribution deal withYouTube TV that would allow members to add HBO and Cinemax, while also being able to include HBO Max as an add-on.[198] On April 15, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a similar deal withCharterSpectrum (which acquired Warner's formercable division after it was spun off in 2009, in May 2016) to give access to HBO Max for HBO subscribers via theirTV Everywhere credentials.[199] A similar agreement was announced withHulu on May 1 for most existing subscribers via Hulu + Live TV, as well as being available as an add-on to all other plans on the service.[200] On May 20, 2020, it was announced that WarnerMedia had made distribution deals withAltice USA,Cox Communications,Xbox,Samsung,PlayStation,Verizon Communications and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).[201] An agreement withComcast (Xfinity) was announced a few hours after the platform's launch.[202] Max is also available onXfinity Flex andCox Contour Stream Player.[203][204]
The most prominent platforms without agreements to carry HBO Max at the launch wereAmazon (maker of theFire TV andFire HD devices) andRoku, which together are estimated to control 70% of the U.S. streaming player market.[202] With both platforms, non-Max HBO content remained available as usual through the companies' respective channels platforms or through HBO Now (which was rebranded to just "HBO" on July 31, 2020) while deals for HBO Max were being worked out. On May 13, 2020,John Stankey, CEO of AT&T, revealed toVariety that Amazon was very unlikely to become a launch partner for HBO Max; the parties have remained at an impasse following the launch, reportedly due to a disagreement about whether Amazon can host the additional Max programming directly on itsAmazon Prime Video Channels platform as it does for HBO currently.[205][202] On November 16, 2020, it was announced that WarnerMedia and Amazon had reached an agreement to make HBO Max available on Fire TV and Fire Tablet devices beginning the following day, while also allowing subscribers of HBO via Prime Video Channels access to the HBO Max app at no extra cost (although the additional Max programming will still not be hosted on the Prime Video Channels platform).[206] The dispute with Roku was reported to hinge on carriage commissions and advertising sales on the future ad-supported tier.[202] On December 16, 2020, it was announced that WarnerMedia and Roku had reached an agreement to make HBO Max available on Roku devices beginning the following day, while also allowing subscribers of HBO via Roku Channels access to the HBO Max app at no extra cost (although the additional Max programming would still not be hosted on the Roku Channels platform); conversely, Roku remote controls from the past five years which included an HBO Now app shortcut button now route viewers directly to the HBO Max app instead.[207]Dish Network was also erroneously mentioned as a holdout in some media reports; HBO has not been available at all from Dish since late 2018 due to a separate dispute.[208] On July 29, 2021, WarnerMedia and Dish announced that they had reached an agreement to resolve the dispute and restore HBO to Dish's satellite service, along with offering access to HBO Max to HBO subscribers via Dish at no extra cost.[209]
There were plans for HBO Max to introduce an ad-supported tier by 2021,[210] with AT&T later announcing during their Investor Day event on March 12, 2021, that the tier would launch in June of the same year.[211] HBO original programming will continue to be ad-free for subscribers of the tier, but the tier will not allow access to Same-Day Premieres.[212] WarnerMedia later announced during their 2021 upfront presentation on May 19 that the ad-supported tier would launch during the first week of June at a price point of $9.99 a month.[213] The tier would end up launching on June 3, while also adding a yearly option for both tiers (priced at $99.99 a year for the ad-supported tier and $149.99 a year for the ad-free tier).[214]
Localized versions of HBO Max launched on June 29, 2021, in Latin America and the Caribbean,[215] on October 26, 2021, in Andorra, Spain and the Nordics (excluding Iceland), and on March 8, 2022, in Central and Eastern Europe and Portugal, in part by converting existing streaming services operated by HBO in some of those markets to the HBO Max platform.[216][217] In the interim, some HBO Max original programs have been made available on WarnerMedia's existing international platforms, also includingHBO Asia.[218][219] The European launches of HBO Max featured a notable promotion, offering the service with a 50% discount "for life" for new subscribers as long as they maintain their subscription.[220]
In other countries, HBO or Max original programs are licensed tothird-party networks and streaming services under long-term deals. In these cases, Max has left it up to individual rightsholders to decide whether to offer its programming on an over-the-top basis. The extent and lengths of the deals vary by country; not all networks that carry HBO programs also carry Max programs, and in some cases individual programs are carried by different services.[221][222][223]
WarnerMedia said in late 2019 that it planned to continue HBO's existing international licensing partnerships for the time being.[224] However, as part of the WarnerMedia further restructuring announced in August 2020, WarnerMedia presidentJason Kilar said HBO Max would be expanding its scope globally.[74] Operations chief Andy Forssell indicated later that year that the company ultimately plans to have HBO Max active in 190 countries, but that a timeline for most of the remaining countries had not been decided.[217]
Following the merger of WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc. in April 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery has decided to halt international expansion of HBO Max in favor of waiting to replace the existing service, as well as HBO Go in Asia-Pacific region, with Max, and instead continuing to license its content to other international distributors such asSky Europe andFoxtel in markets where HBO Max isn't available, in an attempt to reach financial stability for the company.[225] This also included postponing the launch of Max in France and Belgium until the summer 2024, despite there already being plans to launch the service as HBO Max in 2023.[226]
Plans for expansion of HBO Max restarted on 2025 in Australia,[227] Turkey[228] and the Post-Soviet states,[69] and are expected to continue into 2026, for regions where Sky Europe operates,[229] although the service had already continued to expand before then, but in the form of an additional VOD hub for existing pay TV operators in countries like New Zealand, Japan and Greece.[230][231][232]
HBO Max was launched on June 29, 2021, in the 39 territories of Latin America and the Caribbean, where HBO already operated directly its streaming service HBO Go, and premium television channels.[233][234] HBO Max in Latin America and the Caribbean was rebranded as Max on February 27, 2024,[235] before it reverted again into HBO Max globally on July 9, 2025.
HBO Max does not operate in Canada;[236] rights to most Max Original programming produced by Warner Bros. or its subsidiaries are held byBell Canada's subsidiaryBell Media,[f] which distributes them via its OTT serviceCrave, and its English- and French-language pay television servicesCrave andSuper Écran (which themselves include access to the OTT version of Crave viaTV Everywhere credentials). The agreement was first announced in 2019, also renewing Crave's existing rights to first-run HBO programming (Bell operates anHBO channel as a multiplex of Crave) and pay-one rights to Warner Bros. Pictures releases. It does not include the rights to series produced for the service by third-party studios.[221][237][238] The agreement was most recently renewed in 2024 for an unspecified length.[239]
Under a long-term agreement until 2025 between HBO andSky Group (Comcast), Sky operatesSky Atlantic which broadcasts the majority of HBO's programming. Sky Atlantic is available in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy. In February 2011,Sky Atlantic launched on the Sky platforms in theUnited Kingdom andIreland, which maintains a distribution deal with HBO to offer the majority of its programming on the channel. Under the five-year agreement between HBO and Sky, newer HBO programs will air on Sky Atlantic before airing on other television channels within the United Kingdom and Ireland. Before 2011,TG4 in Ireland had a long-term agreement to broadcast HBO programming free-to-air, this ceased following the creation of Sky Atlantic. In many other countries, Max has licensed exclusive rights to its programming to television networks owned by third parties, includingSky Atlantic in theUnited Kingdom.
In March 2021, WarnerMedia confirmed that HBO Max would not launch in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy before 2025 due to an existing deal for HBO programming withSky Group which was renewed in 2019 but does not automatically include Max Originals produced by third-party companies or Warner Bros. Television themselves.[246][247][248]
On December 9, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery and Sky announced a brand new non-exclusive bundling partnership in the UK and Ireland, where Max is expected to launch in early 2026. Following its launch, Sky customers will gain access to the ad-supported version of Max at no additional cost.[249]
On August 15, 2012, HBO announced plans to launchHBO Nordic, a multiplatform video distribution service servingNorway,Denmark,Sweden andFinland that was created through a joint venture with Parsifal International.[250][251] Thevideo on demand service launched in December 2012.[252] In Spain, HBO programs were previously broadcast on pay television serviceCanal+, since 2011.[253] In 2016, during the discontinuation of the Canal+ branding in Spain, HBO launched a standalone streaming service called HBO España, which was the Spanish equivalent of HBO Now and HBO Nordic.
HBO Europe had announced on multiple occasions that they were not aware that they were going to replace their current service with HBO Max, nor would their rates be increased.[254] However, in December 2020, the head of HBO Max, Andy Forssell, revealed that all HBO services in Europe, including HBO España and HBO Nordic, would be replaced by HBO Max. On October 26, 2021, HBO Max was launched in the Nordics (excluding Iceland) and Spain and Andorra.[255][256]
Starting in 2024, HBO Max's programming began to be integrated as part of more expensive packages in the Spanish TV service Movistar Plus+ with all programming from the service becoming available on Movistar Plus+ by April 2024.[257][258] The rebranding to Max went into effect on May 21, 2024.[259][260] On September 17, 2024, a linear TV channel dedicated to broadcasting HBO and Max content was launched, exclusively on Movistar Plus+, as Max Avances.[261] Following the reimplementation of the HBO Max name, the channel was renamed HBO Max Avances.[262]
inIceland, HBO programming aired onStöð 2 since 2014, and remained as such even after HBO Max launching in the other Nordic countries.[263] In 2022, HBO signed an agreement withSíminn which aired HBO programming on its SVOD service, Sjónvarp Símans Premium. In July 2025, HBO Max was officially launched in Iceland and HBO and Síminn extended their partnership and bundle HBO Max with the Síminn SVOD service.
In the 2010s,HBO Europe launched streaming serviceHBO Go in 13Central and Eastern European countries. HBO programs in Portugal were previously broadcast on the premium television channel TVSéries from the services ofTVCine, since 2015. In 2019, less than a year before the discontinuation of TVSeries, HBO Europe launched a standalone streaming service calledHBO Portugal. Similarly to the Nordics and Spain, HBO Max was launched in Portugal[264] and Central and Eastern Europe on March 8, 2022,[265] replacing HBO Portugal and HBO Go.
The rebranding to Max went into effect on May 21, 2024,[260] except in Poland where it took place on June 11.[266] All of these were reverted again into HBO Max globally just a years later. The Max rebranding in Poland also gave the option to live stream all ofTVN Warner Bros. Discovery's linear television networks as part of the Sports add-on, except Cinemax 1 and Cinemax 2. Meanwhile, Polish users not subscribed to extra add-on will be able to only live stream the threeHBO channels in Poland and the free to air networkTVN.
On November 13, 2008,Orange launchedOrange Cinéma Séries (renamed OCS in 2012), a five-channel package, dedicated to movie and series. The same year, OCS signed a long-term agreement with HBO. On October 10, 2013, they launched the channel OCS City (initially nicknamed Génération HBO) to broadcast only HBO productions. The HBO catalog was also available to stream on their streaming service. From 2019 to 2023, OCS had the complete exclusivity on the HBO catalog in France. Before that, other channels likeCanal+,Canal+ Séries orNT1 could aired reruns of selected HBO series after their original run on OCS.[267] However, OCS didn't have the rights on the Max catalogue. The deal ended in December 2022, with HBO productions leaving OCS from January 2023 onwards.[268]
In October 2021, formerCanal+ executive Vera Peltekian was appointed as VP and commissioning editor of original HBO Max programming forFrance. HBO Max's launch in France was set for 2023, but this ended up getting delayed after Warner Bros. Discovery decided to halt the global rollout of HBO Max to replace the existing service with Max first.[226] Meanwhile,Canal+, theTF1 Group, andWarner TV broadcast a selection of the Warner Bros.-produced scripted live-action Max Original series, certain films and reunion specials. Programs not owned by Warner Bros. (likeLionsgate'sLove Life) have been licensed separately to other French broadcasters.
In October 2022,Amazon Prime Video signed a deal withWarner Bros. Discovery to distribute the HBO Max programs owned by Warner Bros. in France.[269] In January 2023, it was announced that the deal was extended to all HBO productions, following the expiration of the deal with OCS for HBO productions, but also to Warner Bros. Discovery's linear TV channels, following the end of the deal withCanal+ for their carriage. All this content where available on the service through Le Pass Warner ("The Warner Pass"), asubscription-based channel, launched on March 16, 2023. Selected programs (likeThe Last of Us,Peacemaker,Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin andThe Sex Lives of College Girls) where released without a subscription to the channel for a limited time. The Warner Pass was removed from the service following the launch of Max in France with its subscribers automatically transferred to a Max subscription.[270]
The service was launched as Max in France on June 11, 2024. In France, the service also include an access to Warner Bros. Discovery's French linear TV channels (Warner TV,Warner TV Next and others), similar to the service's offer in Poland, and the option to subscribe to a sports-focused add-on that include various live sports events and an access toEurosport's linear channels. During the2024 Summer Olympics, the service shared the broadcast withFrance Télévisions, and covered the event for all subscribers, even those without the sports add-on.[266][271] The service's ad-free plan is also available as a subscription-based channel on others services like Amazon Prime Video or Canal+.
A former variant logo used in Belgium and the Netherlands.Former variant logo in blue
On February 9, 2012,HBO Netherlands started as a joint venture between HBO and Dutch cable operatorZiggo. HBO Netherlands aired as a three-channel multiplex service in addition to offering a localized version ofHBO Go to subscribers. HBO Netherlands was not limited to subscribers of Ziggo, instead, many Dutch cable operators offered HBO Netherlands. However, on September 28, 2016, HBO Netherlands announced that it would cease operations on December 31, 2016. That same day, it was announced that Ziggo had bought exclusive rights to HBO programming.[272] On November 1, 2016, it was announced that Ziggo will offer HBO programming exclusively as part of their newMovies & Series service starting from January 2017.[273] In September 2021, it was reported that Ziggo's rights to HBO programming is set to expire at the end of the year.[274] Ziggo confirmed that its HBO programming rights are set to expire on January 1, 2022, as a result of WarnerMedia launching HBO Max in The Netherlands in 2022. However, some recently aired seasons will remain on theMovies & Series service.[275]
On February 1, 2022, the launch date was officially announced for March 8, 2022.[276]
In Belgium, HBO and Max programing was broadcast through the pay TV operatorsBeTV and Streamz (Telenet).[277][278]
The Max rebranding in the Netherlands took place on June 11, 2024, alongside a soft launch in Belgium, before its full launch on July 1,[167][266] but the "HBO Max" name retained due to trademark conflicts withOmroep MAX, a member of theDutch public broadcasting system, as well as VRT MAX, a streaming platform by theVRT.[279][280]
Plans to introduce HBO Max in Turkey, Greece and the Baltic states, where HBO Go was absent, were announced in October 2021,[281] but these plans were later halted following the creation of Warner Bros. Discovery, withVodafone TV in Greece,[282] various TV operators in Turkey, includingDigiturk,[283] andGo3 andTelia in the Baltic states[284][285] instead getting the rights for various HBO and Max programming.
On December 6, 2023,Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) fully acquired the Turkish streaming serviceBluTV,[286][287] and on March 4, 2025, it was announced that BluTV would be relaunched as Max on April 15, 2025, as part of WBD's global streaming consolidation strategy.[228]
In Greece, the offer present in Vodafone TV was relaunched as Max on February 20, 2025. Now all Max content is available across all TV packages in Vodafone Greece.[232]
On June 10, 2025, it was announced that HBO Max would finally launch in the Baltic states, as well as in otherPost-Soviet states, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, on July 22, 2025. Launches for Albania, Cyprus, and Malta were also announced for that same time frame.[69]
Fox Showcase, an Australian premium television service, began airing HBO original programming in 2012, through a licensed distribution arrangement with subscription television providerFoxtel. Before this, limited HBO content was broadcast through the now-defunctMovie Network, which was founded by HBO (throughTime Warner),Village Roadshow,Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer andDisney–ABC International Television. HBO Originals are also available on-demand via Foxtel servicesFoxtel Now andBinge.Sky Movies inNew Zealand originally operated as a joint venture between HBO andSky Network Television. The channel was renamed HBO in 1993; Time Warner later sold its share in the service to Sky in 1998, and it was renamed back to Sky Movies. HBO programming is currently shown by Sky channelHBO, and its subscription streaming serviceNeon, in New Zealand. Deals with some other partners includingFoxtel in Australia andSky in New Zealand which includes a significant portion of HBO Max's original programming were agreed or renewed between 2019 and 2021.[222][288][230]
Foxtel and Warner Bros Discovery renewed their partnership in February 2023, making HBO and Warner Bros. content available across Foxtel's pay-TV channels as well as its Foxtel Now and Binge streaming services.[225] In mid-October 2024, Warner Bros Discovery and Sky New Zealand signed a new partnership agreement that would allow Sky to remain the exclusive distributor of bothHBO and Max content in New Zealand from October 30, 2024. Under the partnership, Sky New Zealand would host Max as a hub on its Sky Box, Sky Pod andSky Go platforms and its Neon streaming service. The SoHo channel would also be revamped as a linear HBO channel featuringHBO Original content.[230][289]
On February 25, 2025,Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced that Max would be launched as a standalone service in Australia on March 31, 2025.[227]Foxtel andBinge will lose access to mostHBO and Max Originals, but Foxtel subscribers will be provided a 'Basic with Ads' plan at no extra cost if they have a compatible Foxtel IQ box.[290][291]
In June 2021, WarnerMedia appointed a managing director for the launch of HBO Max in eight territories across Southeast Asia and the exploration of the possibilities to launch HBO Max in theIndian market.[292]
Warner Bros. Discovery India decided to premiere their HBO Max original programming, including their original films, onAmazon Prime Video.[293] It later started to gradually migrate toViacom18'sJioCinema from May 13, 2023 onwards and finished by late 2023.[294][295] On February 14, 2025, JioCinema merged with Disney+ Hotstar to form JioHotstar which integrates HBO contents that were previously on JioCinema.[296]
Originally, HBO Max was planned to launch in Southeast Asia, but was halted.[52] Instead, it launched as Max in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Philippines, Hong Kong, and Taiwan on November 19, 2024, replacing theHBO Go Asia services.[297]
In Japan,U-Next reached a deal to carry HBO and HBO Max original programs in Japan beginning on April 1, 2021. This replaced a previous deal between HBO andAmazon Prime Video Japan.[298] This deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and U-Next was renewed in March 2023, making the streaming service the home of HBO content in the country in a "multi-year" deal between the two. On September 18, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery signed an exclusive partnership agreement with U-Next. The deal will allow Max to launch within the U-Next system featuring a library of more than 2,500 works and 16,000 episodes from 8 brands including HBO, Max Originals,Harry Potter, DC, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel, and Animal Planet. It officially launched on September 25, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.[231][299]
OSN currently carries HBO content across 22 countries in the Middle East and North Africa region on its linear channels as well as itsOSN+ streaming service. An exclusive, multi-year licensing deal was renewed in March 2023, meaning a HBO Max launch is unlikely in this region in the near future.
HBO Max received mixed reception from media observers on launch. The range of available content was generally well received, but many commented on the likelihood of confusion with HBO's other since-deprecated streaming platforms, HBO Go and HBO Now, and the service's higher subscription price compared to other newly launched streaming platforms likeDisney+.[84][338][339] Television critics also expressed frustration that thelibrary of original series (not including its former late night adult content) for sister network Cinemax was not originally available on HBO Max, though much of its output had arrived on the service by the end of 2021.[340]
AT&T announced in July 2020 that HBO Max had nominally achieved 26.6 million subscribers after its first month of operation, including 23.6 million wholesale customers, primarily legacy HBO pay TV subscribers that were covered by new agreements that added access to HBO Max at no extra charge.[341] However, only 4.1 million customers had activated their HBO Max accounts by the same date.[341] The latter figure was seen by many observers as a disappointment, particularly in light of Disney+ having reached 10 million subscribers within a day of launch;The New York Times's media criticBen Smith wrote that WarnerMedia had "badly botched" the launch.[342]
However, AT&T executives contended that it had been a "flawless launch" citing increased customer engagement compared to HBO Now and overall growth in total subscriptions to either HBO or HBO Max (36.3 million, vs. 34.6 million HBO or HBO Now subscribers at the end of 2019), while acknowledging that there was more to do to persuade existing HBO subscribers to start using the HBO Max apps.[343] Executives had previously noted that HBO Max was starting from a different place than other streaming services as it was building on the existing HBO subscriber base, and had to work within the constraints of many of HBO's pre-existing deals (such as those with Amazon and Roku).[344]
In October 2020, AT&T revealed that the number of activated HBO Max subscribers had reached 8.6 million by the end of September, while the number of nominal (eligible) subscribers reached 28.7 million. The total number of HBO / HBO Max subscriptions in the U.S. also increased to 28 million.[345] With an agreement being reached the following month with Amazon (which is reported to have had 5 million HBO subscribers through Prime Video Channels), the number of HBO Max-eligible subscribers is understood to have increased to over 33 million.[206] In September 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery was sued by a shareholder, alleging that WarnerMedia had overstated the number of HBO Max subscribers by including unactivated subscriptions bundled with AT&T services.[346][347]
Upon its launch, it was noted that Max had grouped directors and writers for its films and television series under a singular "creators" credit.[348] TheDirectors Guild of America andWriters Guild of America West condemned the move amidst the2023 Hollywood labor disputes. Max announced that they would fix the credits, agreeing with the outcry from the guilds regarding proper credit for its creators, noting the altered credits were a result of "an oversight in the technical transition" from HBO Max to Max.[349]Deadline Hollywood reported the consolidation was a result of WBD's IT departments creating the "catch all" for the credits to be in place for launch, and that executives, who could have intervened, had been unaware of the single credit until the discourse arose online after its launch. Additionally, it was reported that it would take "weeks" to fix, given the service would need to make the adjustment on each platform.[350] The credits would later be fixed, beginning in late June.[351]
^ By coincidence, Bell Canada was formerly part-owned by WarnerMedia's 2018–2022 parent companyAT&T until 1975; however Bell's relationship with HBO predated AT&T's acquisition ofWarnerMedia. Bell Media and its predecessors had also had a separate partnership withDiscovery, Inc. coveringDiscovery Channel Canada and related services, dating back to 1995 with the formation ofNetStar Communications, prior to the merger that formed WBD.
^The service was relaunched as "Max" on May 21, 2024, except in the Netherlands and Poland, and later reverted to its original "HBO Max" branding on July 9, 2025.
^In the Netherlands, the service was relaunched with retaining the original name "HBO Max" on June 11, 2024.
^In Poland, the service was relaunched as "Max" on June 11, 2024, and later reverted to its original name "HBO Max" on July 9, 2025.
^In France, the service was launched as "Max", later was rebranding to "HBO Max" on July 9, 2025.
^ The service had a pre-launch in Belgium on June 11, 2024, with French and English content, and officially launched as "HBO Max" on July 1, 2024.
^abcdefThe service was launched as "Max", later was rebranding to "HBO Max" on July 9, 2025.
^Bell's partnership covers Canadian rights to Warner Bros.-produced scripted live-action Max Original series and certain films. Selected programs have been licensed separately to other Canadian broadcasters, including most animated programs toCorus Entertainment.[328]
^This excludes Warner Bros. owned Max originals which are licensed to theBBC andITV. Most Max originals not owned by Warner Bros. are licensed separately to other UK broadcasters and platforms.
^"AT&T 2nd Quarter Earnings 2021 – Financial and Operational Trends"(PDF).Archived(PDF) from the original on July 22, 2021.Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Operating Volumes and Statistics (volumes in thousands) [as of 6/30/21] — HBO Max – Wholesale [Domestic]: 31,451; HBO Max – Retail [Domestic]: 12,077; International HBO Max and HBO Subscribers: 20,498
^"Max is coming in May".HBO Max Help Center. April 12, 2023.Archived from the original on April 28, 2023. RetrievedApril 28, 2023.Current HBO Max subscribers will keep their existing HBO Max plan features for at least 6 months after Max launches.
^Shaw, Lucas (September 1, 2020)."Netflix and Amazon Elbow Way Into Talks on Streaming Hollywood Hits".Bloomberg News.Archived from the original on September 9, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 5, 2020.Universal Pictures and Sony Pictures have begun negotiating with streaming services and cable networks to license their next round of theatrical movies for home video, starting with films set to be released in 2022.
^D'Alessandro, Anthony; Tartaglione, Nancy (March 23, 2021)."Regal Cinemas To Reopen In April; Parent Cineworld & Warner Bros Reach Multi-Year Deal To Show WB Films In U.S. & UK".Deadline.Archived from the original on September 9, 2021. RetrievedMarch 24, 2021.Cineworld and Warner Bros have also hatched a multi-year agreement that will see the No. 2 global exhibitor show the studio's 2021 theatrical and HBO Max day-and-date titles in the U.S. as of their theatrical release. Then, beginning in 2022, Warner Bros theatrical films will have a 45-day window of theatrical exclusivity at Cineworld's Regal chain.
^Welch, Chris (December 1, 2020)."Wonder Woman 1984 will be the first title that HBO Max streams in 4K".The Verge.Archived from the original on February 17, 2021. RetrievedJanuary 31, 2021.This is the very start, and HBO Max will "expand these capabilities to further films and TV series, as well as adding support for additional devices, throughout 2021."
^"AT&T Provides Update on Strategy, Financial Outlook".Business Wire. March 12, 2021.Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. RetrievedMarch 13, 2021.Also in June, the company expects to launch in the U.S. market an advertising-supported (AVOD) version of HBO Max.
^Alexander, Julia (March 12, 2021)."HBO Max will debut its cheaper, ad-supported tier in June".The Verge.Archived from the original on March 12, 2021. RetrievedMarch 13, 2021.The main difference between the ad-supported tier and the normal plan is access to same-day theatrical releases, Kilar added. Customers on the ad-supported plan won't be able to watch Dune on HBO Max when it lands, for example. Kilar also confirmed that ads won't play on HBO original titles like Euphoria, The Sopranos, and Game of Thrones.
^"2020 Upfront – Kids".Corus Entertainment.Archived from the original on September 16, 2020. RetrievedSeptember 15, 2020.
^O'Brien, Greg (May 21, 2021)."Analysis: Why the "end is near" narrative is wrong".Cartt.Archived from the original on September 18, 2021. RetrievedSeptember 15, 2021.(the 2019 extension [covering HBO Max programming which launched in 2020] is a five-year deal, we were told)
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