Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+, Disney+ and others face tough new competition on March 26, 2026.
That's when HBO Max will finally launch in the UK, bringing a flurry of award-winning boxsets, blockbuster films, documentaries, and live sport fixtures via TNT Sports. While some of the expansive catalogue is entirely new, many of the titles have previously been available via other services, like Netflix, discovery+, and of course, Sky Atlantic.
Even if you don't immediately recognise the HBO brand, you'll likely know its biggest shows, which collected 142 Emmy Awards last year alone. HBO is the US network behind breakout hits like The Last of Us, Euphoria, The White Lotus, Succession, Heated Rivalry, And Just Like That, House of the Dragon, Big Little Lies, The Sopranos, The Penguin, and many more.
HBO Max brings together exclusive TV shows and documentaries from the HBO brand alongside films from Warner Bros. | HBO PRESS OFFICE Many of these were only available to watch via Sky Atlantic or NOW, formerly NOW TV, when they first aired in the UK. If you are subscribed to a Sky TV package, the British broadcaster recently announced a shake-up to its bundles, with HBO Max included at no extra cost.
Fan-favourite shows from the Warner Bros. television catalogue, like Friends, will also be included with an HBO Max subscription. The latter was previously available to stream on Netflix in the UK as part of a $100 million licensing deal to retain the award-winning sit-com for just one year.
With its arrival in the UK, HBO Max has completed its European roll-out, which started back in late 2021.
With more people streaming via HBO Max, the streamer will expand its password-sharing crackdown worldwide. HBO Max CEO and President of Global Streaming JB Perrette told investors during a recent earnings call that it's entering "the second inning of our password sharing enforcement."
Netflix pioneered the password-sharing crackdown, restricting subscribers to watch from the same location — preventing users from sharing login details with a friend or family member to split the monthly cost. Trying to watch on a television outside of the location set as your "household" will result in the stream being blocked.
Netflix is a little more lenient with portable devices. For example, you can use your mobile devices to watch Netflix as long as those gadgets have accessed Netflix while connected to your Wi-Fi network within the last 30 days. This also applies to laptops and tablets.
When it started to toughen its stance on password sharing, Netflix introduced an optional £4.99 charge to add an "extra member" to your household who can watch outside your home address / Wi-Fi network.
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HBO Max uses a similar system, leveraging the IP address assigned by your Wi-Fi connection, device IDs, and other background activities to track your usage. If HBO believes that you're outside of the primary household set-up with your subscription, it'll prompt you to purchase an "Extra Member" add-on for $7.99 or create your own account.
HBO Max added 3.5 million subscribers worldwide in the last quarter of 2025, bringing its total to 131.6 million. Parent company Warner Bros. Discovery says it expects to reach 150 million subscribers by the end of this year.
“We are in the second inning of our password sharing enforcement,” JB Perrette confirmed in the last earnings. “It is just beginning to get scale.”
American medical procedural drama The Pitt will be exclusive to HBO Max in the UK, with the entire first season available to stream on-demand from launch day | HBO PRESS OFFICE HBO Max UK price plans
When it launches on March 26, HBO Max will be available in four different flavours:
- Basic with Ads – £4.99 per month | Stream on 2 devices in Full HD
- Arrives with all HBO Max shows and movies, but you'll miss out on the most-recent films that first stream on the service following their theatrical release window
- Standard with Ads – £5.99 per month | Stream on 2 devices in Full HD, with 30x downloads
- Arrives with all HBO Max shows and movies, including the most-recent films that first stream on the service following their theatrical release window
- Standard – £9.99 per month | Stream on 2 devices in Full HD, with 30x downloads
- Arrives with all HBO Max shows and movies on an ad-free basis, including the most-recent films that first stream on the service following their theatrical release window
- Premium – £14.99 per month | Stream on 4 devices in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos and 100x downloads
- The ultimate HBO Max experience with all the best HBO Max shows and movies on an ad-free basis, including the latest movies as soon as they leave the local multiplex
- TNT Sports Plan – £30.99 per month | Adds TNT Sports 1-4, TNT Sports Ultimate, live event feeds and TNT Sports Original Documentaries. This is limited to 2x of your available streams
HBO Max will be available across all major devices, including set-top boxes from Sky TV and Virgin Media, dongles like EE TV, Fire TV, Apple TV, and Google TV, as well as iOS and Android smartphones and tablets, game consoles, and Smart TV platforms from LG, Roku, and Samsung.
Subscribers will be able to create up to five personalised profiles, receive tailored recommendations and enjoy features like Continue Watching and offline downloads so you can continue to watch boxsets and blockbusters when you're on a long-haul flight or commute without a strong Wi-Fi connection.
Families will also be able to set up kid-friendly profiles with age-appropriate content and parental controls.
When the launch rolls out, you'll be able to access this streamer via hbomax.com or via launch partners, like Sky TV and Prime Video.
Andrew Georgiou, President and Managing Director for Warner Bros. Discovery UK & Ireland and Warner Bros. Discovery Sports Europe, said: “Launching HBO Max in the UK & Ireland marks a significant moment for viewers here. HBO Max will offer them their most loved series and movies from HBO, Warner Bros. and DC Studios, alongside premium sports from TNT Sports in the UK, within an outstanding single destination for this great content and strong value proposition.
"Nowhere else will you be able to get The Pitt, House of the Dragon, Euphoria, Lanterns, Superman, One Battle After Another, as well as the eagerly awaited Harry Potter series, all together.”