HBO Max last week announced that it will launch its streaming service in parts of Europe starting October 26th.
Starting next month, HBO Max will become available in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain, and Andorra. The announcement specifies that the six will be the first European countries that HBO Max is expanding to.
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Next year, it also be available in 14 more territories, including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
HBO Max will be available in those European countries currently covered by HBO Europe, which already operates streaming services on the continent including HBO España, HBO Nordic, and HBO Go.
The list excludes larger and economically relevant countries like the UK, Italy, France, and Germany. Despite their size, Warner Media’s streaming platform has never operated standalone services there, as The Hollywood Reporter notes. Instead, it has historically opted to license its content to local operators, such as Comcast-owned Sky in the UK.
“WarnerMedia movies and series like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory are passionately consumed by fans all across Europe,” said Head of HBO Max International Johannes Larcher. “HBO Max has been created to provide them with the most intuitive and convenient viewing experience to watch these and a diverse range of other amazing titles.” HBO Max currently includes content from Warner Bros., HBO, DC, and Cartoon Network, as well as new content branded as Max Originals.
HBO also says that “additional territory launches are also planned for next year.” Currently, HBO Max is available in the United States, where it debuted in May last year, as well as in 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean.
Speaking at the Series Mania television festival in Lille, France, Christina Sulebakk, general manager of HBO Max EMEA, stated that WarnerMedia plans to roll out HBO Max to the rest of the world “in a staggered manner.”
The announcement doesn’t offer details on the streaming service’s pricing in the new territories. More details are expected to be unveiled during a virtual launch event planned for next month.