Warner Bros. Discovery unveils Max launch plans in Europe

The Last of Us (Source: WBD)

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD)’s streamer Max will be launched across much of Europe on 21 May, with roll-outs in France and Belgium also confirmed.

The White Lotus and The Last Of Us streamer will become available on 21 May in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Bosnia & Herzegovnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

Launches later in the year are planned for the Netherlands and Poland, with the service also set to be extended into France and Belgium, although dates have not been confirmed.

JB Perrette

The US studio confirmed in October that it would be rolling Max out across Europe this year, following a roll-out in Lat Am earlier in 2024. Execs have previously explained its plan to tailor launches in Europe into three categories.

JB Perrette, CEO & president of global streaming & games, unveiled the latest news at Series Mania Forum in Lille and in a presentation to delegates said that the expansion would continue in South-East Asia at the end of the year.

Max will launch into further “new markets” in 2025, with countries such as the UK and Australia seemingly set to receive the service following the end of exclusive HBO output deals that have seen programming only available via companies such as Sky.

However, Perrette addressed the importance of striking ongoing partnerships with telcos to expand Max’s reach, pointing to Spain as an example of how the company’s strategy is unfolding.

“Bundles help to drive immediate scale and build greater awareness,” he said, adding that “strong distribution partnerships will allow us to turbocharge our scale across Europe.”

WBD already has a deal in Spain with Vodafone but will also make Max available via Telefonica, Orange and Mas Movil.

Perrette pointed to Harry Potter TV show spin-offs as the type of content driving viewers, as well as the upcoming Colin Farrell-starring drama, The Penguin.

“It is that quality across content genres that is most important to attract customers and retain them,” he added.

WBD yesterday unveiled its first original series coming from France, with Black Lies, crime thriller Malditos (working title) and an adaptation of Rabbi Delphine Horvilleur’s Living With Our Dead.