Max rolling out to key European markets in May 2024

Warner Bros. Discovery will launch its Max mega-streamer in parts of Europe in May 2024.

The Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe and are slated to get the service starting May 21, 2024, according to a WBD announcement. France, Belgium, Poland and the Netherlands will be added soon after.

The content of Max in Europe will align more closely with the legacy HBO Max offering, with offerings focused more on HBO programming, as opposed to the Discovery-based programming included with Max in other markets.

The addition of these key European markets is timed to be just before Max releases the “House of the Dragon,” a spinoff of the popular HBO series “Game of Thrones.”

In 25 European countries, Max will also offer 24-hour streaming coverage of the 2024 Olympics in Paris, thanks to WBD’s ownership of Eurosport, which holds the pay TV rights to the Olympics in portions of Europe. In the host country of France, France Télévisions is sub-licensing WBD’s rights and select content for its free-to-air broadcasts. The deal also allows Eurosport to carry the coverage in France via its subscription offering.

Much of HBO Max’s programming has been dolled out via various licensing and distribution deals across Europe, but the May 21 rebranding is the first step in bringing most rights under the same name and umbrella in Europe.

WBD is planning on offering three tiers of Max in European markets, including a “basic” option with ads. A separate sports add-on will also be sold.

Max previously launched in Latin America and the Caribbean earlier in 2024 and included adding select content from the Discovery portfolio. 

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