Warner Bros streaming service Max now all but confirmed for early 2026 UK launch

by Simon Brew |
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Warner Bros extends it deal with Sky in the UK – but things will change slightly when it launches the Max streaming service over here in 2026.

The one major US streaming service that’s not made it to the UK as of yet remains Warner Bros’ now-rebranded Max. It used to be HBO Max, now it’s Max, but of the studio-backed services, its launch has been held back by legacy deals Warner Bros has in place around the world.

That’s even though it’s been running in the US since 2020.

In the UK, Warner Bros has a deal with Sky, that’s been in place for many, many years. This agreement has seen Sky become the home of HBO shows such as Game Of Thrones and Succession, amongst others. Warner Bros movies are bundled in as well.

The assumption had been that Warner Bros would roll out Max in the UK when its Sky deal ended, and a new press release effectively confirms that.

Sky has put out an announcement that it’s extended its deal with Warner Bros Discovery in the UK by another year, with the existing agreement due to expire early next year. Now, another year has been added, which means it runs until early 2026.

The press announcement specifically cites the impending arrival of Max in the UK, with Sky declaring that “when it launches in the UK and Ireland in early 2026. Sky customers will continue to find shows such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, and any new series aired before the end of 2025, on Sky Atlantic and through Sky’s On Demand service.”

The press statement also notes that Sky customers will get an ad-supported version of Max in their bundles, at no extra cost. Sky has a similar agreement already in place for Paramount, with its Paramount+ service.

Andrew Georgiou, the president and managing director of Warner Bros in the UK, is then quoted at the bottom of the announcement. He enthuses that “arriving in early 2026, the market-wide launch of Max in the U.K & Ireland is a significant step in its global roll-out, and will be the place where audiences find incredible new shows, including the future Harry Potter series from HBO”.

That Harry Potter series is due in 2027, by which time UK customers will have the full gamut of major studio streaming services to pick from. Credit cards at the ready, more as we hear it…

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