There’s no more need for a VPN or any other cheeky tricks, HBO Max will be starting its European launch, October 26 onwards.
In its first run, the streamer will be available in six European countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain and Andorra.
The next set of launches will be in 2022, in 14 European countries: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.
To these countries, HBO Max will be offering content from Warner Bros, DC, Cartoon Network, HBO Max originals, Adult Swim, Turner Classics and any other third-party acquisitions (both scripted and non-scripted programs).
The streamer does have to gear up against rivals like Netflix and Prime who are quite dominant in the regions. HBO Max understands that in order to get subscribers invested in their platform, they have to produce local stories that form a bridge between the audience and the streamer.
At the same time, Christina Sulebakk, general manager for HBO Max EMEA, notes that all Max Originals, irrespectively of the region they’re created in (and for) will be available on all HBO Max services.
It’s much more energetic and diverse in terms of content and scope. There’s a lot of love in the brand, and energy and inclusion and playfulness. Those are the things we want people to really feel when watching it.
Christina Sulebakk
There will be one key difference between the USA HBO Max and its European counterparts — the latter won’t have the hybrid movie release strategy that HBO has been following in the USA.
This means while US subscribers have a choice between watching any of the upcoming 2021 (and perhaps beyond) movies on HBO Max or theatres, European subscribers won’t.
If you’ve noticed there are some big EU names that haven’t been mentioned yet, it’s because HBO Max has not currently finalized plans of launching in the UK and Germany.
Some of HBO’s offerings are already available on Sky Atlantic and Now TV.
Both regions are also major producers in their own rights, and Sulebakk believes it’s better not to rush the decision until they can fully evaluate if, “it’s the right portfolio that we can bring to market — not only the HBO slate but WarnerMedia in general.”
The EU virtual launch will be held next month (date TBA) and will dive into details of HBO’s Max’s offerings in the first six countries, along with subscription packages.
The first pay window to be opened will be for the Nordic regions, for which the streamer is working hard to deliver an impressive catalogue from WarnerMedia and Warner Bros.
With titles like Harry Potter, Big Bang Theory, Game of Thrones and others that have been massively received in the EU, the launch is sure to make a splash.
About HBO Max
HBO Max is an American subscription video-on-demand streaming service owned by AT&T via the WarnerMedia Direct subsidiary of WarnerMedia and was launched on May 27, 2020, in the United States.
While built around content from namesake premium television service HBO, it principally serves as a content hub for WarnerMedia’s various film and television properties, offering a range of original programming and library content from the company as well as additional content licensed through third-party distributors.
Source: Variety
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