HBO’s streaming platform, now known only as Max, may be coming to Australia in 2025, according to a report by the Australian Financial Review.
Warner Bros Discovery, the parent company that owns HBO, produces shows like The Last of Us, Succession, Our Flag Means Death, Euphoria and The White Lotus through its subsidiary. In Australia, these programs stream on both Foxtel and Binge under a licensing deal.
That deal is up for negotiation in 2025, and the head of Warner Bros Discovery Jean-Briac Perrette has said at a Media Partners Asia APOS event that they will be moving to launch Max instead of continuing their license with Foxtel and Binge.
Media Partners Asia APOS is a summit held in Bali, which took place last week. Perrette is also quoted as saying ‘We’ll do Europe before the Olympics, which we have to get done because we have the Olympics coming in Paris next summer. And then we will get to Asia.’ Meaning presumably that Warner Bros Discovery will launch in Europe first in order to cover the Paris Olympics – and then move to a launch in Asia (that includes Australia).
‘Asia continues to be critically important,’ he continued, ‘but we have to do it in that sequence. And we will get to Asia before the end of next year with our existing markets and then roll out to new markets again, starting in 2025.’
‘…Australia’s a critically important market for us, where again we think our content is very strong for that market.’ he added. [AFR]
The move would mean Foxtel and Binge lose out on their exclusive streaming rights on shows like The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, Succession, and everything else made and owned by HBO.
Binge has only just rolled out 4K streaming for many of its titles, so this loss would certainly come as a blow to the Australian streaming company.
