HBO Max is coming to the UK and Ireland next month – but prepare to be confused

HBO Max finally has a launch date for the UK and Ireland. Viewers in those countries will be able to watch from 26th March – that's just a few weeks away.

It will bring HBO's roster of top tier content including shows like Succession, The Pitt, Friends and House Of The Dragon as well as films like the Oscar-nominated Sinners and One Battle After Another.

Next year will see the launch of the lavish new Harry Potter series.

So far, so good. But one element could prove confusing for viewers already overwhelmed by choice: the subscription options. HBO has announced no fewer than five separate options – that's two more than Netflix offers, two more than Disney Plus, and four more than Apple TV.

Here they are.

• Basic with Ads (£4.99 per month): stream on two devices at once, limited to Full HD resolution. Doesn't include those movies that stream on HBO Max following a cinema release
• Standard with Ads (£5.99 per month): the same as Basic with Ads, but includes "all the best HBO Max shows and movies" and gives you 30 downloads a month for offline viewing
• Standard (£9.99 per month): the same as Standard with Ads but without the adverts
• Premium (£14.99 per month): this ups the quality to 4K with Dolby Atmos (where available), lets you stream on four devices at once and gives you 100 downloads a month
• TNT Sports (£30.99 per month): this brings all manner of live sports like 185 UEFA Champions League matches and every game in the Europa League and Conference League, plus some Premier League matches and tennis. This is in 4K and Dolby Atmos, and lets you stream on two devices at once

That's a lot of options. Too many, some might say.

You'll be able to access HBO Max on all manner of smart TVs and streaming devices, and it will be available to purchase through Prime Video.

Netflix is in the process of taking over HBO Max's parent company Warner Bros Discovery. But HBO's boss has insisted that the streaming giant won't close the service.

JB Perrette, president of global streaming at Warner Bros Discovery, told The Times: "Netflix has an enormous amount of apreciation and respect for the HBO brand as something that s distinct, premium and must-watch. They want the brand to be vibrant, dynamic and visible."

HBO shows have been available in the UK on Sky, and while Sky customers will continue to be able to watch existing HBO shows, new launches such as the Harry Potter series will be available only through HBO Max.

HBO is renowned for its high calibre of content, so it seems to be pursuing a strategy of quality over quantity. As well it might: it has around 3000 films and shows in its library, compared with Netflix's 17,000 and Prime Video's 21,000. Less is more, according to HBO. Except where subscription options are concerned.

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