HBO Max is a subscription-based video on-demand streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. Launched in May 2020, it provides access to a wide array of content from Warner Bros., HBO, Discovery Channel, CNN, and other related brands. It stands as the fourth most subscribed streaming service globally, boasting 128 million paid memberships.
Select episodes from all fifty seasons of Sesame Street (dating back to 1969) are available to stream on the service for the first time ever.
Sky Movies in New Zealand, originally a joint venture between HBO and Sky Network Television, was renamed HBO in 1993.
In 1998, Time Warner sold its share in Sky Movies in New Zealand to Sky, and the channel was renamed back to Sky Movies.
On February 9, 2012, HBO Netherlands was launched as a joint venture between HBO and Dutch cable operator Ziggo, offering a three-channel multiplex service and a localized version of HBO Go to subscribers across various Dutch cable operators.
In 2012, Fox Showcase, an Australian premium television service, began airing HBO original programming through a licensed distribution arrangement with subscription television provider Foxtel.
On September 28, 2016, HBO Netherlands announced that it would cease operations on December 31, 2016. Ziggo simultaneously announced its acquisition of exclusive rights to HBO programming.
On November 1, 2016, Ziggo announced that it would offer HBO programming exclusively as part of their new Movies & Series service, starting from January 2017.
On December 31, 2016, HBO Netherlands officially ceased operations after its initial launch in 2012.
Starting in January 2017, Ziggo began offering HBO programming exclusively as part of their new Movies & Series service.
On October 10, 2018, WarnerMedia announced plans to launch an over-the-top streaming service in late 2019, featuring content from its various entertainment brands.
In May 2019, Otter Media was transferred to WarnerMedia Entertainment from Warner Bros. to take over the streaming service development. Andy Forssell replaced Brad Bentley as executive vice president and general manager, reporting to Otter CEO Tony Goncalves.
On July 9, 2019, WarnerMedia announced that the streaming service would be known as "HBO Max" and launch in spring 2020. Reese Witherspoon's Hello Sunshine and Greg Berlanti were also signed to production deals for the service.
On October 29, 2019, it was officially announced that HBO Max would launch in May 2020, setting the stage for the platform's debut.
At the end of 2019, HBO or HBO Now subscribers were at 34.6 million.
On February 5, 2020, Warner Bros. and HBO Max announced the Warner Max film label, which would produce eight to ten mid-budget movies per year for the streaming service starting in 2020.
On February 20, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a distribution deal with YouTube TV, allowing members to add HBO and Cinemax, and include HBO Max as an add-on.
On April 15, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a distribution agreement with Charter Spectrum to provide HBO subscribers access to HBO Max through their TV Everywhere credentials.
On April 20, 2020, WarnerMedia officially announced that HBO Max would launch on May 27, solidifying the timeline for the streaming service's debut.
On May 13, 2020, AT&T CEO John Stankey indicated that Amazon was unlikely to be a launch partner for HBO Max due to disagreements about hosting Max programming on Amazon Prime Video Channels.
In May 2020, the official launch date for HBO Max was confirmed, marking a significant milestone in the development of the streaming service.
On May 20, 2020, WarnerMedia announced distribution deals with Altice USA, Cox Communications, Xbox, Samsung, PlayStation, Verizon Communications, and the National Cable Television Cooperative (NCTC).
On May 27, 2020, HBO Max, an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, was launched in the United States. The platform offers content from Warner Bros. Entertainment, Discovery Channel, HBO, CNN, Cartoon Network, and other related brands.
On June 9, 2020, Gone with the Wind was temporarily removed from HBO Max's library amid the George Floyd protests, following an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times by 12 Years a Slave screenwriter John Ridley.
On June 27, 2020, it was revealed that DC Universe original Harley Quinn would stream its first two seasons on HBO Max.
On June 29, 2020, HBO Max secured the exclusive streaming rights of the Oprah Winfrey Network series David Makes Man.
In July 2020, Katy Keene, a Warner Bros.-produced television series that premiered on The CW, was cancelled.
On August 7, 2020, WarnerMedia announced a significant restructuring under new president Jason Kilar, focusing on direct-to-consumer services. As a result, Greenblatt and Reilly left the company. WarnerMedia Entertainment was dissolved, with programming operations combined with Warner Bros. in a new Studios and Networks group under Ann Sarnoff. Bloys gained programming oversight of HBO and HBO Max, and Forssell became the head of a new HBO Max operating business unit.
In October 2020, AT&T announced that HBO Max had 8.6 million activated subscribers by the end of September and 28.7 million nominal subscribers. HBO/HBO Max subscriptions in the U.S. increased to 28 million. After reaching an agreement with Amazon in October 2020, HBO Max-eligible subscribers were expected to exceed 33 million.
On October 28, 2020, it was announced that the 1990s series Tiny Toon Adventures would be rebooted for Cartoon Network and HBO Max as Tiny Toons Looniversity, featuring older versions of the characters, with Steven Spielberg returning as executive producer. The show received a two-season order.
On December 16, 2020, WarnerMedia and Roku reached an agreement to make HBO Max available on Roku devices, granting HBO subscribers via Roku Channels access to the HBO Max app at no extra cost.
In 2020, the plan was to fully launch the new streaming service in the first quarter, following a beta launch expected in the fourth quarter of 2019.
In February 2021, it was announced that WarnerMedia's international preschool brand Cartoonito would launch in the United States via Cartoon Network and HBO Max later in the year.
On April 1, 2021, U-Next reached a deal to carry HBO and HBO Max original programs in Japan, replacing a previous deal between HBO and Amazon Prime Video Japan.
On April 23, 2021, Adult Swim and HBO Max's adult animation development teams merged under the leadership of Suzanna Makkos.
In June 2021, HBO Max began exploring the possibilities of launching in the Indian market.
In June 2021, WarnerMedia appointed a managing director to oversee the launch of HBO Max in eight territories across Southeast Asia.
On June 29, 2021, localized versions of HBO Max were launched in Latin America and the Caribbean.
On June 30, 2021, AT&T reported that HBO and HBO Max had a combined total of 69.4 million paying subscribers globally. This included 43.5 million HBO Max subscribers in the U.S., 3.5 million HBO-only U.S. subscribers, and 20.5 million subscribers to either HBO Max or HBO in other countries.
On July 29, 2021, WarnerMedia and Dish announced an agreement to resolve their dispute, restoring HBO to Dish's satellite service and offering HBO subscribers access to HBO Max at no extra cost.
In September 2021, it was reported that Ziggo's rights to HBO programming were set to expire at the end of the year. Ziggo confirmed that its HBO programming rights would expire on January 1, 2022, due to the planned launch of HBO Max in The Netherlands in 2022.
In October 2021, plans to launch HBO Max in Turkey, Greece, and the Baltic states, where HBO Go was not available, were announced but subsequently halted. Rights for various HBO and Max programming were instead given to Vodafone TV in Greece, TV operators in Turkey including Digiturk, and Go3 and Telia in the Baltic states.
By the end of 2021, much of sister network Cinemax's output, including original series, had arrived on HBO Max.
Deals with partners including Foxtel in Australia and Sky in New Zealand, which included a significant portion of HBO Max's original programming, were agreed to or renewed between 2019 and 2021.
In 2021, the HBO Max service began to expand into international markets, building on its initial launch in the United States.
On January 1, 2022, HBO Max removed the Crunchyroll hub, redirecting subscribers to a "global animation" page. The service has since begun removing anime from Crunchyroll's lineup.
On February 1, 2022, the official launch date for HBO Max in The Netherlands was announced for March 8, 2022.
On March 8, 2022, WarnerMedia and Sesame Workshop announced they would plan new shows for Cartoon Network for the new original series run and a second run acquisition rights HBO Max, including Charlotte's Web, and Bea's Block as well as the animation special Sesame Street: The Nutcracker.
On March 14, 2022, after Discovery shareholders approved its merger with WarnerMedia, Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels announced plans to merge HBO Max with Discovery+. The process would begin with a bundle of the two services as a short-term option, leading to a single platform.
In April 2022, WarnerMedia merged with Discovery, Inc. to form Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). HBO Max became one of the combined company's flagship streaming services, alongside Discovery+.
In April 2022, following the merger of WarnerMedia with Discovery, Inc., Warner Bros. Discovery decided to halt the international expansion of HBO Max, planning to replace it with Max and license content to other international distributors.
In July 2022, HBO Max ceased new original series development in Central Europe, Nordic Europe, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and removed selected international series from the platform, as part of cost-cutting measures following the merger of Discovery, Inc. with WarnerMedia. Development of live-action children's and family programming was also abandoned.
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. This was followed by the cancellation of nearly complete Max Original films Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. WBD CEO David Zaslav announced that the company would cut children's programming and emphasize theatrical films over direct-to-streaming releases.
On August 15, 2022, HBO was reorganized by Warner Bros. Discovery, leading to layoffs within HBO Max's non-scripted originals, live-action family originals, international originals, and casting units. Makkos began reporting to HBO's head of comedy, Amy Gravitt.
During an earnings call in August 2022, WBD announced that Discovery+ and HBO Max would merge "next Summer", with the launch in the United States first, followed by other markets beginning in late-2023.
On August 24, 2022, the HBO Max original films House Party and Evil Dead Rise were shifted to theatrical releases. These changes followed the removal of various programs from the streaming service, including animated and unscripted series, and backlash from fans and critics.
In October 2022, Amazon Prime Video signed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to distribute Warner Bros.-owned HBO Max programs in France.
During its third-quarter earnings report in November 2022, WBD stated that the merged streaming service was targeting a "Spring 2023" launch in the U.S., ahead of the original schedule. The possibility of a price increase for the ad-free tier was also discussed.
In early-December 2022, it was reported that multiple names were being considered for the merged streaming service, including simply "Max".
At the end of Q1 2022, HBO and HBO Max had 76.8 million global subscribers, marking a period of growth for the streaming services.
In January 2023, Amazon Prime Video's deal with Warner Bros. Discovery was extended to include all HBO productions and Warner Bros. Discovery's linear TV channels, following the expiration of deals with OCS and Canal+ respectively.
On February 11, 2023, the price hike for the ad-free tier of HBO Max became effective for existing subscribers, marking the implementation of the previously announced price increase.
In February 2023, Foxtel and Warner Bros. Discovery renewed their partnership, ensuring HBO and Warner Bros. content would remain available across Foxtel's pay-TV channels, Foxtel Now, and Binge streaming services.
In February 2023, WBD announced they would officially unveil the merged streaming service on April 12. They also confirmed that Discovery+ would continue to operate alongside the new service, highlighting its profitability and subscriber satisfaction.
On March 16, 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery launched "Le Pass Warner" ("The Warner Pass"), a subscription-based channel on Amazon Prime Video, providing access to HBO content. Selected programs like The Last of Us, Peacemaker, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, and The Sex Lives of College Girls were released without a subscription for a limited time.
On May 23, 2023, HBO Max was rebranded as "Max" in the United States. The new service included a redesigned user interface and more Discovery content.
In November 2023, it was reported that WBD had lost 2.5 million subscribers over a six-month period, resulting in a 19% drop in their shares.
On December 6, 2023, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) fully acquired the Turkish streaming service BluTV.
In 2023, Max grouped film and television directors and writers under a single "creators" credit, drawing condemnation from the Directors Guild of America and Writers Guild of America West during the Hollywood labor disputes. Max announced in 2023 that they would fix the credits, acknowledging the altered credits were due to "an oversight in the technical transition" from HBO Max to Max. It would take weeks to adjust each platform. The credits were fixed beginning in late June.
In August 2022, WBD revealed that the rollout of the unified Discovery+ and HBO Max streaming service would begin in late-2023, following its launch in the United States during the summer.
WBD unveiled Max on April 12 with a planned launch in the United States on May 23. The new service was to launch in other regions throughout 2023 and 2024.
On February 27, 2024, the rebranded streaming service "Max" was launched in Latin America and the Caribbean, continuing the global rollout after its initial launch in the United States.
In May 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) announced a partnership with Disney Streaming to offer a bundle of Max, Disney+, and Hulu in the United States.
On May 21, 2024, the rebranded streaming service "Max" was launched in Europe, expanding its reach following launches in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
On June 11, 2024, Max was launched in France, including access to Warner Bros. Discovery's French linear TV channels and the option to subscribe to a sports-focused add-on with live sports events and Eurosport channels. The service also shared the broadcast of the 2024 Summer Olympics with France Télévisions.
On July 25, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney Streaming launched a bundle of Max with Disney+ and Hulu in the United States, priced at $16.99 per month for the ad-supported version and $29.99 per month for the ad-free version.
On September 17, 2024, a linear TV channel dedicated to broadcasting HBO and Max content was launched exclusively on Movistar Plus+ as Max Avances, later renamed HBO Max Avances.
On September 18, 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery signed an exclusive partnership agreement with U-Next, allowing Max to launch within the U-Next system featuring a large library of content.
Max officially launched on September 25, 2024 within the U-Next system.
In mid-October 2024, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and Sky New Zealand signed a new partnership agreement, under which Sky would remain the exclusive distributor of both HBO and Max content in New Zealand from October 30, 2024.
From October 30, 2024, Sky New Zealand would host Max as a hub on its Sky Box, Sky Pod and Sky Go platforms and its Neon streaming service and the SoHo channel would be revamped as a linear HBO channel featuring HBO Original content.
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). This feature, initially for U.S. subscribers of Max's Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free tiers using adult profiles, allows users to restart, rewind, fast-forward, and navigate between linear channel feeds within the player.
After its initial launch in the United States, the rollout of Max was planned to continue throughout 2023 and 2024 to other regions.
On February 14, 2025, JioCinema merged with Disney+ Hotstar to form JioHotstar, integrating HBO contents previously on JioCinema.
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 the new design, which uses silver or black-colored logos, closely resembled the branding of HBO itself.
In Greece, the offer present in Vodafone TV was relaunched as Max on February 20, 2025, and all Max content was made available across all TV packages in Vodafone Greece.
On February 25, 2025, WBD announced that Max would be launched as a standalone service in Australia on March 31, 2025. Foxtel and Binge would lose access to most HBO and Max Originals, but Foxtel subscribers would be provided a 'Basic with Ads' plan at no extra cost if they have a compatible Foxtel IQ box.
On March 4, 2025, it was announced that BluTV would be relaunched as Max on April 15, 2025, as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's global streaming consolidation strategy.
As of March 21, 2025, Coupang Play became the exclusive streaming home for the full slate of HBO and Max original content in South Korea.
On March 30, 2025, the Max rebrand, which began in February in Australia, was launched globally.
On March 31, 2025, Max launched as a standalone service in Australia.
BluTV is relaunched as Max on April 15, 2025, as part of Warner Bros. Discovery's global streaming consolidation strategy.
On May 14, 2025, it was announced that the streaming service would revert to its original name, "HBO Max", on July 9, 2025.
As of May 2025, Discovery+ and Max had reached a combined total of 122.3 million subscribers, illustrating the scale of the merged streaming platform.
On July 8, 2025, it was reported that the rebranding back to "HBO Max" would begin to roll out on July 9, with Variety reporting that WBD executives wanted it to take effect before the announcement of the nominations for the 77th Primetime Emmy Awards.
On July 9, 2025, the streaming service officially reverted to its original name, "HBO Max", after previously being rebranded as "Max".
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."
On June 10, 2025, it was announced that HBO Max would launch in the Baltic states and other post-Soviet states, including Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, on July 22, 2025. Launches for Albania, Cyprus, and Malta were also announced for the same timeframe.
On October 15, 2025, Max expanded to the remaining Southeast Asian countries (except Vietnam) and Macau and Mongolia.
On December 5, 2025, Netflix announced its intent to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for $72 billion, which would include HBO Max, HBO, Warner Bros. film, game and television studios, DC Entertainment/DC Studios, while excluding Discovery+, CNN, and the company's linear television networks.
Future seasons of Sesame Street streamed exclusively on HBO Max until 2025, alongside Esme & Roy, and several new spin-offs starting with The Not-Too-Late Show with Elmo, Sesame Street: Mecha Builders, and The Monster at the End of This Story.
HBO Max was launched on January 13, 2026 in Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and Liechtenstein.
In February 2026, after receiving a contractual waiver from Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery reopened negotiations with Paramount Skydance regarding a potential acquisition.
On February 17, 2026, WBD confirmed that it would be launching HBO Max as a standalone service in New Zealand from mid-2026.
On February 26, 2026, WBD's board determined that Paramount Skydance's revised $110.9 billion offer constituted a superior proposal to the existing Netflix agreement. Netflix declined to match the offer and withdrew, allowing Paramount Skydance to proceed as the winning bidder.
The partnership for showing HBO Max originals is expiring in April 2026.
As of 2026 all Wavve-distributed contents migrated to Coupang Play.
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