Max, Warner Bros. Discovery’s (WBD) super streamer, is finally set to be rolled out internationally – just not in the UK or Australia.
Per Variety, Fernando Medin – president and managing director of WBD Latin America and US Hispanic – confirmed Max will make its first foray into non-US territories on February 27. However, HBO Max’s successor will only launch in Latin America on that date.
Explaining why it’s taken nine months for Max to debut outside of the US – Max replaced HBO Max stateside in May 2023 – Medin said: “To truly reach all segments of the population with a product like ours, it’s essential to not only offer our international content but also provide something that resonates with people, something relevant to their lives. Hence, we’ve been diligently curating a line-up of local content.”
The Salma Hayek-produced series Like Water For Chocolate, a spin-off show of 2002’s City of God movie, and a biopic-style production inspired by the life of beloved Mexican comedian Roberto Gómez Bolaños are among the projects that’ll be released on Max to coincide with its debut in this world region. In total, one of the world’s best streaming services will bring 37,000 hours worth of movies and TV shows to viewers in Central and South America in less than two weeks’ time.
Wait, why isn’t Max launching in the UK and Australia?
Max’s arrival in a nation or region outside of the US is a long time coming. As I mentioned, the super streamer has been available stateside for almost a year. And, while Medin stressed the importance of delivering films and TV series aimed at Latin America audiences before the platform was ready to be switched over from HBO Max to its successor, a nine-month wait is still a pretty extensive one.
That said, it won’t be as long a wait as the one that British and Australian audiences are certain to endure. HBO Max was never made available in the UK or down under – instead, British viewers had to sign up to a Sky deal with Sky Atlantic packaged into it in order to stream HBO TV shows like Game of Thrones and The Last of Us. Australians had to do likewise with Foxtel, Binge, and/or Prime Video to catch these series and WBD’s stacked library of films.
So, can UK and Australian viewers expect Max to be rolled out in their nations, too? Right now, no. Due to their licensing deals with WBD, Sky Group and News Corp Australia have the sole rights to the best Max shows and best Max movies. Indeed, Sky’s deal with WBD runs until 2025, while News Corp won’t end until 2026. In short: Max won’t launch (if at all) in the UK and Australia until those agreements expire, although it’s likely both corporations will want to extend their relationship with WBD to retain users.
Other countries and territories could potentially see Max debut overseas, though. Various WBD deals run out in Canada, Belgium, and some other European nations throughout 2024, so it’s possible WBD could roll out Max in these countries. If you’re waiting for the likes of House of the Dragon season 2 and The Last of Us season 2 to debut in these countries, then, you might find yourself streaming them on Max in the near future.
We might learn more about Max’s Latin America debut, and the possibility of a wider rollout, when WBD announces its Q4 2023 results (and holds its latest earnings call) on February 23. For more on what’s revealed during that event, stick with TechRadar.
