HBO Max UK: release date, price, supported devices and how to watch

HBO Max is expected to launch in the UK in 2026, bringing HBO series, Warner Bros. films and Max originals into one streaming service.

It will include HBO hits like Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and will be available to Sky Ultimate TV customers from launch.

Here's what we know so far about release timing, price, supported devices and how to watch.

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Quick answer

Sky

HBO Max is integrated with Sky Ultimate TV from launch and included at no extra cost for both new and existing customers from launch, giving access to HBO originals and Warner Bros. films directly through Sky's interface.

Virgin Media

Virgin TV boxes will support the HBO Max app for the first time, allowing customers to stream HBO content that was previously shown in the UK through Sky Atlantic.

BT and EE

HBO Max is included with certain NOW Entertainment plans offered through BT TV and EE TV, as part of bundled packages that combine channels and streaming services.

Standalone subscription

HBO Max can also be subscribed to directly, with plans ranging from £4.99 to £14.99 per month depending on features such as ads, picture quality and simultaneous streams. The app will be supported on major platforms including smart TVs, streaming sticks, games consoles, phones, tablets and web browsers.

HBO Max availability by platform

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Getting HBO Max through a TV provider

For many viewers, the easiest way to watch HBO Max will be through a TV provider rather than subscribing separately. Some UK platforms include access as part of existing packages, while others simply support the app and require a standalone subscription.

Sky

Sky is the most integrated option. From launch, HBO Max Basic with Ads is included automatically at no extra cost for both new and existing Sky Ultimate TV customers, with access built directly into the interface on Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky Q.

Higher HBO Max tiers can be added as upgrades if you want improved video quality or more simultaneous streams.

Packages that include HBO Max on Sky:

BT TV and EE TV

BT and EE TV customers get HBO Max through bundles that combine NOW Entertainment with HBO Max. Customers with a NOW Entertainment membership - including EE Entertainment, Big Entertainment and Full Works plans - are automatically moved to the NOW Entertainment & HBO Max bundle, with the Basic tier included in the monthly price.

For viewers who want higher HBO Max tiers, upgrades work differently than on Sky. Instead of switching HBO Max plans directly, you upgrade through NOW.

Plans such as Big Entertainment and Full Works already include the required add-ons, while others can add NOW Cinema for newer films and Boost or Ultra Boost for ad-free viewing and higher quality.

Packages that include HBO Max on BT and EE:

Virgin Media

Virgin Media takes a different approach. Its TV 360, Stream and V6 boxes (when upgraded to the TV 360 platform) support the HBO Max app, but the service isn't included in standard TV packages.

That means you can watch through Virgin's interface, but you will need to subscribe to HBO Max separately unless you receive access through a bundled plan from another provider.

In practice, the best route depends on what you already have. If your TV package includes HBO Max, you can start watching straight away. If not, subscribing directly gives you full control over plan level and billing.

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Subscribing directly to HBO Max

You don't need a pay TV provider to watch HBO Max. The service can also be subscribed to on its own through the HBO Max website or app, with multiple plans available depending on how you want to watch and what features you need.

Standalone subscriptions are structured in tiers. Lower-priced plans include adverts and fewer playback features, while higher tiers add benefits such as better video quality, more simultaneous streams and access to newer film releases.

HBO Max standalone pricing

HBO Max separates parts of its catalogue across pricing tiers, so what you can watch depends on your plan as well as playback features.

Lower tiers include most series and films, while newer cinema releases are reserved for higher-priced subscriptions.

That differs from services like Netflix or Disney+, where catalogue access is largely the same across plans, and instead resembles discovery+'s approach when TNT Sports was added, dividing content layers rather than offering a single all-inclusive tier.

TNT Sports add-on

TNT Sports is available as a separate add-on rather than a standard HBO Max plan. This reflects Warner Bros. Discovery's wider strategy to bring its major brands together inside a single streaming platform. From 26 March 2026, TNT Sports will move from discovery+ to become part of HBO Max, which is designed as the company's main direct-to-consumer service combining entertainment, films and live sport in one place.

The shift means discovery+ will continue as a standalone service focused mainly on factual and reality content, while HBO Max becomes the streaming home for premium franchises and live sport.

Existing TNT Sports streaming subscribers won't lose access when this happens, but how they watch will depend on how they originally signed up. Customers who subscribed directly or via discovery+ can simply download the HBO Max app and sign in with the same account details, while those who get TNT Sports through a TV provider such as EE, BT or Sky will continue to access it through their existing platform, which will handle the transition automatically.

In practice, you can subscribe to HBO Max on its own or add TNT Sports as a separate plan (currently £30.99 per month), depending on whether you want sport alongside the main catalogue.

Who standalone suits best

Subscribing directly is usually the best option if you don't already have HBO Max included with a TV package, or if you want full control over your plan level. It's also the simplest route if you mainly watch through phones, tablets, consoles or web browsers rather than a set-top box.

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Devices that support HBO Max

HBO Max is designed to work across most modern streaming and smart-device platforms, but the exact experience can vary slightly depending on how you access it and which device you use.

Supported devices

You can watch HBO Max through its app on:

• Smart TVs, including models from major brands such as Samsung, LG, Sony and Philips that support modern app stores (typically 2018 or newer models running Tizen, webOS or Android TV/Google TV platforms).
• Streaming devices, including Amazon Fire TV sticks and boxes, Roku players, Apple TV devices and Chromecast with Google TV, which support the HBO Max app through their respective app stores.
• TV set-top boxes and platform devices, including Sky Stream, Sky Glass and Sky Q; EE TV Box Pro and Apple TV 4K devices supplied by EE; Virgin TV 360, Stream and upgraded V6 boxes; Android TV-based platforms such as TalkTalk TV; and retail streaming boxes like Apple TV, Fire TV and Roku.
• Games consoles, including PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S, all of which support the HBO Max app through their console app stores.
• Smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android)
• Web browsers on laptops and desktop computers

This means most viewers won't need new hardware - if your device already supports major streaming apps, it's very likely to support HBO Max as well.

Find out more about the best smart TV sticks in our guide.

Platform differences

While HBO Max is broadly available, how you access it depends on your setup:

• Provider bundles may include HBO Max automatically, and on some TV platforms it's integrated directly into the interface rather than appearing as a separate app. Standalone subscribers instead sign in through the HBO Max app using their own account details.
• Streaming devices, smart TVs, game consoles, smartphones and tablets usually require you to download the HBO Max app manually.

In other words, the content is the same, but the entry point can differ.

App availability

On most devices, HBO Max works like any other streaming app: download it, sign in, and start watching. Updates and new features are delivered through app updates rather than device updates, so supported devices typically stay compatible over time.

If your device doesn't support the app, you can still watch through a browser or by using another supported device linked to your TV.

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What happens to existing HBO shows in the UK?

The launch of HBO Max in the UK changes where HBO programmes premiere and how they're distributed.

For years, Sky has been the main UK home of HBO content through its licensing deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, which is why major series such as Game of Thrones, House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, Succession, Euphoria, The White Lotus and True Detective have appeared on Sky Atlantic and Sky's on-demand platforms rather than in a dedicated HBO streaming service.

Sky Atlantic is exclusive to Sky's own TV platform and isn't included in the Sky channel packages supplied to providers such as Virgin Media, which is why many HBO premieres historically required a Sky subscription to watch at launch.

What moves from Sky Atlantic

As HBO Max launches as Warner Bros. Discovery's primary streaming platform, new HBO originals are expected to premiere there first rather than being licensed out in advance. Over time, that means the newest flagship series will increasingly debut on HBO Max instead of Sky Atlantic.

Existing shows won't all disappear overnight. Titles that are already licensed to Sky may remain available there until current rights agreements expire. During that transition period, some HBO series may be split across platforms depending on contract timing.

What will be on HBO Max

From launch, HBO Max is expected to host a large catalogue combining:

• established HBO hits (e.g. Game of Thrones, Succession, The Last of Us)
• recent releases such as True Detective: Night Country, The Penguin and Dune: Prophecy
• returning series including House of the Dragon
• franchise titles such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a series set in the Game of Thrones universe
• Warner Bros. films after their cinema window, with the newest titles limited to Standard or Premium plans
• Max Originals produced specifically for the platform

Upcoming releases matter more than back catalogue because new, exclusive titles are what drive subscriptions and platform switching, whereas older libraries mainly retain viewers rather than attract them.

Why licensing is changing

Historically, studios licensed content territory by territory because global streaming platforms didn't yet exist. That model is now reversing. Media companies increasingly want their biggest franchises on their own platforms, where they control distribution, pricing and subscriber relationships.

HBO Max launching directly in the UK is part of that wider shift: instead of selling rights to broadcasters, Warner Bros. Discovery is consolidating premium titles inside its own service.

What this means in practice

For viewers, the key change is where new HBO shows appear first. Previously, UK audiences typically needed access to Sky (or NOW, which carries Sky's content) to watch major HBO premieres. Going forward, HBO Max becomes the primary destination, while TV providers - including Sky - mainly act as one of several ways to access it rather than the exclusive gatekeeper.

One of the biggest shifts is that Virgin Media customers can now access the same flagship HBO titles through HBO Max for the first time, even though those shows historically premiered exclusively on Sky Atlantic.

That brings provider catalogues closer into line and removes one of Sky's long-standing exclusivity advantages around US premium drama.

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Expert explainer: What HBO Max's UK launch really changes

HBO Max bundling with Sky isn't accidental - it's a practical consequence of how HBO shows have been distributed in the UK for years.

Sky already held exclusive rights to HBO series through Sky Atlantic, so removing that access overnight would have meant customers losing programmes they previously received as part of their subscription. Including HBO Max within certain Sky packages helps preserve continuity while Warner Bros. Discovery shifts distribution to its own platform.

That said, not every Sky customer benefits equally. Lower-cost packages such as Sky Essential TV were designed to provide access to flagship Sky Atlantic shows alongside Netflix and Discovery+ Entertainment at a reduced price. Because HBO Max is bundled with Sky Ultimate TV rather than Essential TV, customers on entry-level plans won't receive the new service automatically as HBO content moves there.

Effectively, Sky Essential TV loses part of the value that originally justified it, while the higher-tier Ultimate TV plan retains access through the bundled HBO Max subscription for an extra £7 per month.

The real competitive shift

The biggest structural change isn't inside Sky's platform - it's outside it. For the first time, viewers on rival TV platforms such as Virgin Media can access the same premium HBO dramas through HBO Max without needing Sky or NOW. Shows that were once effectively tied to a single provider are becoming platform-agnostic, which removes one of Sky's longest-standing competitive advantages in premium US television.

Why tiered pricing exists

HBO Max's pricing structure reflects a wider market shift rather than a one-off experiment. Instead of offering identical catalogues to all subscribers, the service places certain content - particularly newer cinema releases - behind higher-priced plans while keeping most series available on entry tiers.

That approach is still relatively uncommon among major streaming platforms, but it closely mirrors traditional pay-TV logic, where premium content sits behind higher subscription levels.

As media companies combine film libraries, sports rights and original productions into single services, their catalogues become large enough to segment. Discovery+ followed a similar path after integrating TNT Sports, introducing separate entertainment and sports tiers rather than one universal plan.

The wider strategy behind it

Overall, these changes show how streaming is starting to resemble traditional pay-TV again. Instead of every service being a simple monthly subscription, some access routes now come tied to longer contracts through TV bundles, while standalone apps remain flexible and rolling.

Viewers are no longer just choosing what to watch - they're deciding whether they want the flexibility of a monthly subscription or the lower cost that can come with committing for longer. The difference now is that bundles increasingly combine streaming apps alongside traditional premium channel packs, changing what viewers are weighing up when they compare options.

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Summary: the best way to watch HBO Max in the UK

Easiest way to watch

The simplest option is usually through a TV provider bundle if your package already includes HBO Max - for example Sky Ultimate TV or BT/EE TV customers on Entertainment plans - because access is built into your existing interface and billing. There's nothing extra to manage and you can start watching straight away.

Cheapest way to watch

The lowest monthly cost is typically a standalone HBO Max subscription on the entry plan. This suits viewers who only want HBO content and don't need extra channels, bundles or long contracts, although the cheapest tier doesn't include the newest cinema releases, which sit on higher-priced plans.

Best option depending on how you watch

• Best for convenience: bundles where HBO Max is included automatically, such as Sky Ultimate TV or EE TV plans that include NOW Entertainment & HBO Max
• Best for flexibility: standalone subscriptions you can cancel anytime, such as HBO Max direct plans or NOW Entertainment memberships
• Best for maximum content: larger bundles combining multiple services, for example Sky Ultimate TV with add-ons or EE Big Entertainment / Full Works plans
• Best for sport fans: packages that include sport alongside HBO Max, such as EE Full Works or Sky Ultimate TV with TNT Sports
• Best for occasional viewers: simple monthly options like entry-tier HBO Max plans or rolling NOW memberships

Final takeaway

The right option depends less on the shows themselves and more on how you prefer to subscribe. Some viewers benefit from bundled deals that lower monthly costs in exchange for longer commitments, while others are better off paying slightly more for the freedom to switch services on and off.