HBO Max is coming to rule UK TV streaming as launch date, prices and lineup revealed – and yes, it is bringing some Friends

It's been a long time coming but HBO Max will finally launch in the UK on 26 March 2026.

Warner Bros. Discovery will unleash its prize streaming service with an impressive lineup of programming and movies. It has also revealed tier pricing, including two options specifically tailored for tighter budgets.

Originally launched in the US more almost six years ago, the platform has been the home of programming from HBO and other Warner channels, such as CNN and the Cartoon Network. It also features big name movie releases from Warner's own studios and the more recently formed DC Studios.

That will continue in the UK, with the likes of Superman and A Minecraft Movie arriving on HBO Max at launch. In terms of newer shows, it'll offer The Pitt for the first time in the country, plus the new Harry Potter TV series and Lanterns – the new Green Lantern show – when they arrive later this year.

HBO will also be the new streaming home of TNT Sports, with live Premier League, FA Cup and European football switching over from Discovery+.

And then, of course, there's a vast back catalogue of shows and films that'll be available to watch too, including Succession, Game of Thrones and its spinoffs, The Sopranos, and – after its removal from Netflix – every episode of Friends.

HBO Max | Streaming March 26 - YouTube

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How much will HBO Max cost?

HBO Max is launching in the UK with four subscription tiers.

Prices start at £4.99 for the Basic with Ads service. This allows you to stream on two devices in Full HD and with 5.1 sound. There are no downloads available with this tier, and it's ad-supported, of course.

The Standard with Ads tier costs £5.99 and offers the same picture and sound quality and advertising, but adds up to 30 downloads for offline viewing.

HBO Max Standard will be £9.99 per month and ditches the adverts. It is still in Full HD and with 5.1 sound, and offers the same 30 downloads. You continue to be restricted to two simultaneous streams on devices.

Finally, the Premium tier will set you back £14.99 per month and expand the amount of devices to four. You also get 4K HDR video and Dolby Atmos sound where possible. You can download up to 100 shows and movies at a time.

A TNT Sports Plan can also be purchased as an add-on to any of the tiers above. It costs £30.99 per month for TNT Sports 1-4, TNT Sports Ultimate (the 4K HDR channel), plus live event feeds, and original documentaries.

Will Sky lose HBO programming?

Since Sky has been the home of HBO programming for many years, a deal has been struck for the UK TV service to offer a HBO Max Basic with Ads subscription at no extra cost to all Sky Ultimate TV and Sky Q customers.

There will also be a new Now Entertainment & HBO Max (Basic with Ads) package available. That will cost the same as the existing Now Entertainment plan.

In addition, HBO Max will be available as a subscription within Prime Video – so any devices that do not get a dedicated app at launch will still be able to access the new service through Amazon's own app.