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Wondering how to watch HBO Max in the UK? Then you have come to the right place. The unfortunate news is that accessing the streamer – which has been renamed Max – is not as easy as signing up and logging in.
You see, Warner Bros. Discovery has not launched HBO Max in the UK due to the studio having a lengthy contract with Sky to release HBO content via the streaming service NOW (previously called NOW TV). That means the only official way to access the majority of the best HBO Max shows – such as The Last of Us TV series and House of the Dragon – is through a subscription to NOW TV.
But what if you’re an American who just wants to watch HBO Max while on holiday? Or perhaps you’re a resident in the UK who simply wants to try the streaming service? Well, there are options, but you will have to jump through a few hoops. And that’s where we come in. In this article, we will show you exactly how to watch HBO Max in the UK. We will also detail some HBO Max subscription deals and include a few reasons why Max may end up being the only streamer you need if you’re after some of the best TV shows of all time.
How to watch Max shows in the UK via NOW
The official way to watch the majority of Max shows and the best HBO Max movies in the UK is through the streaming service NOW TV. But before you go signing up, you should be aware that NOW TV offers multiple different passes, and it can get quite confusing. So, below we've listed them all down for you.
The Entertainment Membership
First, there’s the Entertainment Membership, which gives you access to the majority of TV shows available on NOW. That includes HBO shows, like The Penguin and White Lotus, and series from Sky Atlantic, such as The Walking Dead: The Ones Who Live, as well as Sky Originals, like Brassic and Gangs of London. At the time of writing, the Entertainment Membership is £9.99 a month, or £6.99 a month if you sign up for six months.
This pass doesn’t include Hayu TV shows, such as Below Deck and Vanderpump Rules, which are available through a different pass on NOW called the Hayu Membership, which is an additional £4.99 a month.
Cinema Membership
The Entertainment Membership also doesn’t include access to some of the best movies on Max; you will need the Cinema Membership for that. The Cinema Membership is also £9.99 a month, or £6.99 a month if you sign up for six months.
There is the option to bundle the Entertainment and Cinema Memberships together for a discounted cost, costing £13.99 a month – but be warned, without an additional pass, you will get adverts while watching NOW, and the content can only be streamed in 720p.
The Sports Membership and Boost
To remove adverts, you will need something called Boost, which is £6 extra a month (this is often discounted to £1 a month for fresh sign-ups). This will also allow you to stream in full HD. And then there’s Ultra Boost, which lets you stream in 4K but is even more expensive, costing £9 a month.
Oh, and then there’s the Sports Membership, which gives you access to various Premier League games and F1 races. Phew. That’s a lot of passes.
How to watch Max shows in the UK via Max
Max has not been officially launched in the UK due to Warner Bros. Discovery, the studio behind Max, having a deal with Sky. That’s frustrating because Max not only offers a whole load of HBO shows but also Warner Bros. movies such as Dune and The Batman.
However, there are ways to access HBO Max from the UK. First, you will need a US-issued credit or debit card to pay for Max (unfortunately, Max has stopped those without US cards from paying with PayPal or Apple Pay, and therefore, having a US-issued card is the only way forward here).
Next, you will need a VPN – or virtual private network. By using a VPN, you can set up your computer so that it appears to be in a different country, and in our case, we want this to be the US. Of course, you will want to use a trustworthy and safe VPN. To know which one is for you, check out our piece on the best VPNs for gaming, which is topped by ExpressVPN.
Whatever VPN you choose, once it’s installed, change your location to the US. From there, navigate to the Max website, where you will be given a choice of memberships. The regular Max price is $9.99 (around £7.56 as of writing) a month, but it has ads and limits you to 1080p streaming.
Then there’s the $16.99 (£12.86) a month tier, which is ad-free, and you can stream on two devices concurrently. And finally, the $20.99 (£15.89) a month Max Ultimate Ad Free tier, which features 4K streaming. These also come in annual packages priced at $99.99, $169.99, and $209.99 (or around £75.71, £128.71, and £159.00) per year for the respective package. Check out our piece on the best HBO prices for all the latest discounts, including bundles with Disney Plus and Hulu.
Choose the appropriate package and you now have access to HBO’s massive library of content. Just remember that every time you log into Max, you will need to have your VPN set to the appropriate location. You will also find that games consoles, Smart TVs, and other streaming devices that are made for the UK market will not have access to the Max app, but most likely will have NOW apps, which may put you off going all the way with Max.
Max UK release date
There are very few details that have been made officially public about the deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and Sky with regards to content appearing on NOW. There are reports that the deal lasts until 2026 and, once up, Warner will launch Max in the UK.
This would be similar to what Disney did: you may remember that Disney Plus launched in November 2019 in the US, only coming to the UK in March 2020 after the studio’s content deal with NOW was over.
Indeed, Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav previously said in a Q4 2023 earnings call that one of the conglomerate’s key markets in Europe was the UK, which gives hope to Max launching here sooner rather than later. Until then, your best bet is streaming through NOW or using a VPN to access Max.
For more viewing guides, check out our recommendations for the best upcoming TV shows and upcoming movies. You can also check out the latest Disney Plus bundles, and we have you covered on other streamers with our guides to the latest Peacock TV costs and Paramount Plus prices.
