HBO Max Will Launch In Six European Countries In October
WarnerMedia's HBO Max is making its way around the globe. Currently, the streamer is available in the U.S. and 39 territories across the Caribbean and Latin America. The latest quarterly update, announced back in July, revealed that HBO and HBO Max had 67.5 million subscribers worldwide. But there's still many more to come.
As of October 26, 2021, the global audience will expand. According to THR, HBO Max is coming to six European countries: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain, and Andorra. This massive expansion is the first step in WarnerMedia's plan to keep the momentum going and get the service into more global markets for a wide audience to enjoy. The next crop of European countries will get access to HBO Max in 2022, when the streamer will launch to territories including Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia.
At the launch event held this October, HBO also revealed the details of the content available to European subscribers. Similar to the US HBO Max library, this includes content from Warner Bros., HBO, DC, Cartoon Network and Max Originals. When the plan was first announced back in September, the Head of HBO Max International, Johannes Larcher, said:
"This is a historic moment as HBO Max lands in Europe. WarnerMedia movies and series like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory are passionately consumed by fans all across Europe, and 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."
What's Next For HBO Max?
The HBO International team also delved into specifics about releases dates for European subscribers, including a 45-day theatrical release window. Christina Sulebakk, general manager of HBO Max Europe, Middle East and Africa, revealed that HBO Max will make Warner Bros. films available on the platform just 45 days after their theatrical release.
The company has also made much fanfare of the way the global markets will expand content available on the streamer overall. HBO has already been producing original programing in Europe for years, but according to Sulebakk, the expansion of HBO Max furthers the demand for expansive storytelling. Sulebakk confirmed that all the Max originals and produced shows will be available on all HBO Max services, allowing diverse stories to resonate locally and travel globally. This includes upcoming series like HBO's first Danish original, "Kamikaze," which follows an 18-year old influencer struggling to pull the pieces of her life back together. after losing everything. Sukebakk said, "it is a Danish show but also travels across the globe, and will premiere in 46 markets at launch."
The launch event also saw HBO unveil a few juicy tidbits to get the excitement flowing for potential subscribers. This ended up being great news for the streamers entire global audience, as fans got a teaser for the "Game of Thrones" prequel series "House of the Dragon," a look at the John Cena "The Suicide Squad" spin-off "Peacemaker," and a new clip from HBO's hit drama "Succession."