HBO Max will launch in an additional seven European markets in 2022 to those already confirmed.
Speaking in a press event, Johannes Larcher, head of HBO Max International, said the streaming service will make its debut in Estonia, Greece, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, The Netherlands and Turkey and by 2026 it will have launched in a total of 190 countries globally.
As previously announced, HBO Max will make its European debut in the Nordics, Spain and Andorra on October 26 and then in 14 Central and Eastern European markets and in Portugal in 2022. Significantly, HBO Max also revealed that the latest blockbuster movies from Warner Bros will be made available on HBO Max just 45 days after their theatrical release. This we be starting this year in the Nordics, and from next year in Spain, Portugal, Netherlands, Greece, Iceland and Central and Eastern Europe.
HBO Max also said that the service will be attractively priced with a new yearly subscription introduced that offers 12-months access for the price of eight, representing a saving of more than 30% and bringing the monthly cost down to approximately €5.99 in Spain and Finland.
In addition, the monthly subscription will be reduced for customers in the Nordics and an already appealing monthly price will be maintained for customers in Spain. On top of this, special introductory offers for new customers will be announced before the service goes live on October 26.
Pricing for Central and East European markets and Portugal will be announced closer to the launch dates in those markets.
HBO Max will roll out on a new, global technology platform, bringing with it an enhanced streaming experience with new product features and functionalities, serving up content tailored to individual users through bespoke curation and recommendations. Subscribers will also be able to customise their HBO Max profile, creating a more powerful sense of connection with the platform and enabling parents to create kids’ profiles, with parental controls to ensure each child is watching age-appropriate content.
The service will be available to watch on a range of devices through various distribution partners and on desktop via HBOMax.com. Customers will be able to pay via major payment partners including Visa, Mastercard and PayPal.
HBO Max will replace existing HBO-branded streaming services in 20 territories in the Nordics, Spain, Portugal and Central and Eastern Europe and will be available to both new customers as well as existing customers, billed either directly or via eligible partners.
Broadband TV News notes that the launch in The Netherlands in 2022 will see Ziggo lose its exclusive HBO deal.
