The UK launch of HBO Max in the UK is continuing as scheduled, despite the Paramount deal for Warner Bros
The service launches in the UK on March 26 (as per this announcement) — meanwhile, Paramount is taking over Warner Bros (and therefore HBO).
What would HBO Max bring to UK audiences and how much will it cost
In the UK, some of the back-catalogue is offered through Sky. As the Warner Bros announcement says, the content includes a lot of interest to Cultbox fans. Here’s the top few lines:
— The Pitt, will premiere in the UK & Ireland on HBO Max from launch, including all of the first season available from day one
— 2026 features one of HBO’s best ever slates, upcoming content will include new seasons of Euphoria and House of the Dragon, as well as the debut of Lanterns from DC Studios
— Movie fans will be able to watch the Academy Award nominated slate and best of the box office including Superman, One Battle After Another, Sinners, A Minecraft Movie and Dune: Part One.
There’s a lot to like, and later this year the launch of the new Harry Potter series. As to pricing, there are four options (plus one bundling TNT Sports):
— Basic with ads in HD on two devices: £4.99 per month
— Standard with adds in Full HD on two devices with 30 downloads: £6.99 per month
— Standard without adds, Full HD two devices and 30 downloads: £9.99 per month
— Premium stream on 4 devices in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos (where available) and 100 downloads: £14.99 per month.
What are the implication of the Paramount deal
Variety confirms the launch is still happening, but also link to another piece confirming Paramount will merge HBO Max into Paramount+ (possibly along the lines of Disney+ integrations). The suggestion is we may see changes later this year (six months are mentioned). While timings (and deal approval) and pricing are all to be determined, we can look at these costs in tandem with Paramount+ pricing which ranges from Basic with Ads at £4.99 to Premium at £10.99 per month. All Paramount subscriptions offer a cheaper 12-month option.
If Netflix is the benchmark (and ceiling) we can therefore look to a range from £5.99 to £18.99. It seems clear the prices will be all but identical (with perhaps initial offers and annual discounts). As soon as we know we will bring you the details. For Paramount+ subscribers on the top tier, this is around £100 extra per year (subject to any discounts). Is it worth it for all the content is a personal decision. Will there be an option for not having HBO Max? We hope to find out later this year.