HBO Max streaming service to launch in Europe "soon" – but there's a catch

HBO Max streaming service to launch in Europe "soon"
(Image credit: HBO)

HBO Max is coming to Europe "soon", according to TheVerge. The WarnerMedia-owned streaming service, which launched in the US in May, is set to launch in Latin America in June and Europe in the 'second half of 2021'.

But before you whip out your credit card, there's still no concrete news on when HBO Max will launch in the UK. HBO simply says it will roll out HBO Max in "the Nordics, Spain, Central Europe, and Portugal” this year – part of the WarnerMedia's ambition to amass 75-90 million subscribers by the end of 2025.

HBO Max offers a ton of top-drawer content from HBO, Warner Bros., New Line Cinema, DC Comics and more. The service costs $14.99 per month in the States and has struck a landmark deal to stream every 2021 Warner Bros. movie on the day they're released in cinemas.

The European version of HBO Max is expected to look virtually identical to the US version, although the content may well be different due to rights issues. 

So, will HBO Max launch in the UK or won't it? There's no confirmation either way but any potential UK launch would likely be complicated by HBO's long-standing licensing agreement with Sky TV, currently the home of huge HBO hits like Game of Thrones, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Sopranos and Chernobyl (a joint venture between HBO and Sky Studios).    

In the meantime, here's how to watch HBO Max – and get a free trial –  from anywhere in the world.

And failing all else, you could consider moving to sunnier climes. HBO Max will expand to the following 39 countries this June: Anguilla, Antigua, Argentina, Aruba, B.V.I., Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Cayman Islands, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Montserrat, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos, Uruguay, and Venezuela. Phew.

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