WBD bosses deny HBO Max is ‘too late to the party’ as streamer sets UK and Ireland launch for next month

HBO Max is home to Game of Thrones ands its spin-offs such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms

HBO Max is to finally launch in the UK and Ireland on March 26, with senior executives claiming that being so late to market will be the platform’s “last mover” advantage over long-established rival streamers.

With the Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) offering already live in 110 territories worldwide, the UK and Ireland is one of the last major markets remaining in the global roll-out of HBO Max.

However, rather than being late to the party, WBD is adamant it has learned from the competition’s mistakes and is well placed to capitalise.

JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games at WBD, said at the launch event in London this morning: “This is an unparalleled moment for our service. Some may think we’re late to the streaming party, but our focus has been on harnessing the benefits of what we call ‘the last mover advantage.’

“We are likely the last scaled global streamer to come to market. We’ve tried to learn from the rest, and this journey of strategic iteration and refinement that we’ve been on over the last several years has led us to this exciting moment.

“HBO Max’s differentiated proposition has never been clearer. We’re a complementary and distinct service to the more volume-driven or basic cable-like streamers in the market.

“More is not better – better is better. Our content slate over the next 24 months is the strongest and most targeted for our audiences in our history.”

Perrette attended the official press launch of HBO Max UK and Ireland alongside Andrew Georgiou, president and MD for WBD UK and Ireland and WBD Discovery Sports Europe.

They claimed that HBO Max has attracted almost 20 million new global subscribers over the last 12 months. WBD president and CEO David Zaslav has previously said the streamer is on track to deliver on its target of amassing 150 million subs by the end of 2026.

Consumers signing up for HBO Max in the UK and Ireland will be able to stream content from HBO, Warner Bros Pictures, Warner Bros Television and DC Studios alongside HBO Max originals.

Content includes medical drama The Pitt, young-adult hit Euphoria, Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon, the debut of DC Studios’ Lanterns and the highly anticipated Harry Potter TV series, which Perrette described as “the streaming event of the decade.”

The platform will also become the streaming home of TNT Sports in the UK, giving consumers access to live coverage of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UFC, MotoGP and Grand Slam tennis.

Of course, the elephant in the room is that HBO Max’s parent company has been the subject of a very public bidding war between Netflix and Paramount. Perrette was asked why consumers would pay for a subscription to HBO Max when that brand may well be subsumed into Netflix’s own overall offering should its US$82.7bn all-cash offer go through.

“Someone might say, ‘Why are you rolling out if you’re selling the company?'” said Perrette. “The reality is that they [Netflix] want the [HBO Max] brand to be vibrant, dynamic, strong and visible. I can’t say exactly what they want to do with it, but I’m confident that having the brand in this market is something that’s very helpful to their strategic ambitions, rather than contradictory to them.”

As previously reported by C21, HBO Max is not looking to open a local commissioning hub in the UK, with HBO boss Casey Bloys retaining control over greenlights for international content.

However, with premium titles such as House of the Dragon, Industry, the Harry Potter series and an upcoming Sharon Horgan comedy series all filming in the UK and Ireland, HBO Max will continue to inwardly invest in the market.

“There’s no objection to that [commissioning original UK content],” said Perrette. “That’s not a future-looking [strategy]; we already do some of that in the present.

“The benefit of finally having a product in this market is that Casey and the team will be even more active as the [local] creative community finally starts seeing some of their stuff show up on the actual product itself.”

In terms of pricing, at launch HBO Max UK and Ireland will be available from a ‘basic with ads’ tier as low as £4.99 (US$6.81) per month, rising to a standard package of £9.99, a premium deal of £14.99 and a TNT Sports plan of £30.99, which can be purchased in the UK as a standalone plan or in addition to select entertainment plans.

HBO content has previously been available in the UK via Sky and its streamer Now. Following the launch of HBO Max, Sky and Now customers will retain access to existing HBO shows, while also getting the ad-supported tier of the new HBO Max app bundled into their subscription at no extra cost.

Georgiou said: “Launching HBO Max in the UK and 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.”