Warner Bros. Discovery announced today that Max, its enhanced streaming service, will launch in the first European countries beginning May 21. Max will become available across the Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe. Launches will follow closely after in Poland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium (the streaming service will be called HBO Max in the Netherlands and Belgium). France and Belgium are the first new countries where WBD has launched its streaming service in over two years. These launches mean Max will be available in 25 countries in Europe and 65 countries and territories worldwide after launching in the US in May 2023 and launching in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier this year.
JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming & Games at Warner Bros. Discovery announcing the rollout of Max at the TV festival Series Mania, said: "Max is the streaming home of Warner Bros. Discovery and builds on our long heritage in Europe, bringing together an incredible breadth and depth of culture-defining entertainment from our services and networks, all in one place. The unrivaled content we've got on Max from 'House of the Dragon' to Olympic Games Paris 2024 and beyond means whatever your mood or the occasion, Max has something great for everyone, every time."
Max brings together HBO Max's can't-miss programming, Discovery's engaging real-life entertainment, and all the world-class action from Eurosport's premium subscription service to create a complete viewing experience for the whole household with premier TV shows, fresh and iconic movies, unmissable sports, and flagship TV networks in select countries, in a single destination for the first time. The launch of Max in Europe is marked by the return of the highly anticipated HBO Original "House of the Dragon," which premiers on Max in Europe on June 17. Max will bring a new streaming experience to Europe with more than double the amount of content currently available on HBO Max. This summer, Max will be the only place to stream every live moment of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 in the 25 European countries where Max will be available. Paris 2024 will be included in all subscription plans, ensuring all customers will gain complete access to the biggest sporting event in the world.
Max stands out as distinct amongst streamers by uniquely combining unrivaled breadth and its new and improved app with iconic franchises and a strong product experience. A Sports Add-On will bring fans extensive coverage of major international and European sports including every tennis Grand Slam – Australian Open, Roland-Garros, The Championships, Wimbledon and the US Open, cycling's three Grand Tours – Giro d'Italia, La Vuelta a España, and the Tour de France in addition to the Tour de France Femmes, 24 Hours of Le Mans, and every major winter sports World Championship and World Cup events. Rights vary between countries. Also, a selection of flagship live linear networks will also be available on Max in some countries in select plans, including CNN International in France and Poland, TVN in Poland, TV Norge in Norway, Kanal 5 in Sweden, and Eurosport in all countries.
DIFFERENT TIERS
Max will offer a choice of different plans, plus a Sports Add-On which may be added to any base plan (Channels and live content in Standard and Premium plans, and the Sports Add-On may contain ads. On-demand content in all plans may include sponsorship and product placement). Full details about pricing will be announced in the coming weeks and vary country by country.
The "Basic with Ads Plan" will allow users to enjoy Max at a lower price and include advertising. It will be available first in nine European countries before expanding to others. The first countries where the Basic with Ads plan will be available are Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, the Netherlands, Romania, Poland, France, and Belgium. Users will be able to stream content on two devices simultaneously, and content will be available in Full HD resolution.
The "Standard Plan" will allow users to stream content on two devices simultaneously and make it available in full HD resolution. This plan will allow up to 30 downloads of available content to watch offline. Furthermore, the "Premium Plan" provides the best consumer experience where users can stream content on up to four devices simultaneously in full HD or 4K resolution and with Dolby Atmos sound (as available). This plan will allow up to 100 downloads of available content to watch offline. (Limits apply)
The Sports Add-On will provide coverage of top sports events, including Grand Slam tennis, cycling's Grand Tours, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the live linear networks Eurosport 1 and Eurosport 2, and much more. Customers should check local listings for rights availability in their countries. The Sports Add-On is sold as an add-on to any base plan, and users can stream sports content on two devices simultaneously (of their available base plan streams).
Existing HBO Max subscribers will be able to discover new experiences on Max while keeping their current profiles and viewing history and continuing their Max journey from where they left off. In some cases, depending on the device or operating system, the HBO Max app will be automatically updated to the Max app. In other cases, when users open their HBO Max app, they will be prompted to download the new Max app, allowing them to begin exploring the new platform in just a few clicks. discovery+ and Eurosport premium SVOD subscribers will be given details about how to subscribe to Max in due course.