HBO Max UK: Price, how to sign up, and is it really free with Sky TV?

It's only taken six years but HBO Max has finally arrived in the UK.

The streaming service has been available in the US and other regions since 2020. Now though, UK viewers can watch some of the best TV and movies, too. All you need is a HBO Max subscription and away you go.

However, with so many streaming rivals out there – not least Netflix, Prime Video and DIsney+ – why would you need to pay for another? What does it offer that's different, and how much is it exactly?

Also, is it true that you can get HBO Max free with Sky TV? All these questions and more are answered below – so here's everything you need to know about HBO Max in the UK.

What is HBO Max?

HBO Max is the UK's latest major streaming service. It includes many 100s of TV shows and movies from HBO and Warner Bros. Discovery, as well as live football and sports coverage from TNT Sports.

Available in the US since 2020 (having also been called just "Max" for a while), the service is home to HBO original programming, Warner Bros. movies and plenty more besides.

This includes the likes of Game of Thrones, Succession, The White Lotus, The Sopranos and, as of Christmas 2026, the new Harry Potter TV series. It is also the streaming home to Friends, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Sex and the City and many classic comedies.

A vast collection of films are available too, plus many new blockbusters, including Superman and two multiple Oscar winners, Sinners and One Battle After Another.

Like many streaming services, you can set up different profiles for each member of the family, with different content options available to adults and kids.

Depending on your subscription tier, HBO Max delivers content in up to 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) streaming with Dolby Atmos sound. You can download and watch films and shows on a mobile device (again, depending on the tier), while many Smart TVs and streaming devices are supported, too.

What devices support HBO Max?

There is a long list of devices that will stream HBO Max content, either via a dedicated app or through a browser window. You can see the whole list here.

It includes iOS, Android, Amazon Fire TV Sticks and televisions, many other Smart TVs, Apple TV, Google TV, EE TV, Roku, PlayStation and Xbox.

Both Sky TV (Sky Q, Sky Glass and Sky Stream) and Virgin Media carry HBO Max as well. As do TV devices powered by TiVo.

HBO Max tiers and pricing

There are four HBO Max tiers available in the UK, at different price levels – Basic with Ads, Standard with Ads, Standard and Premium.

Basic with Ads costs £4.99 per month and streams ad-supported shows and movies at up to 1080p and with 5.1 sound. You can watch on two devices simultaneously, but you cannot download content for viewing offline.

Standard with Ads is £5.99 per month. It is the same as the Basic tier, but you do also get offline viewing, with up to 30 downloads available.

Standard is £9.99 per month. It also shares the capabilities above, but is ad-free.

And finally, Premium is £14.99 per month. It ups the picture and audio quality, to 4K HDR (Dolby Vision) and Dolby Atmos where available. You also get 100 offline downloads and the increased ability to stream to four devices simultaneously. It is also ad-free.

It's also worth noting that Basic with Ads does not include every movie in the HBO Max catalogue – it excludes films that debut on HBO Max after soon appearing in cinemas. They are available on each of the other three tiers.

All of the above tiers can be signed up to on HBOMax.com.

Is HBO Max free with Sky TV?

If you are a Sky Q customer, or have an Ultimate TV subscription you use with Sky Glass or Sky Stream, you can now get HBO Max for free. You get HBO Max Basic with Ads at no extra cost, which is available to sign up to on your Sky device.

You need to either click on an activation advert on your device's homepage, or the HBO Max app. This will start the activation process.

If you want to upgrade your HBO Max subscription, you can opt to take Standard or Premium instead, but with the price of Basic with Ads (£4.99) taken off. That means you can get Premium for just £10 per month, for example.

You also pay for your HBO Max subscription directly through Sky.

Note, you have to create your HBO Max account through Sky first or you might end up paying the full amount for HBO Max Premium (or the like), or even end up paying twice.

Now and Sky+ customers also now get HBO Max Basic with Ads content for free, as part of their existing subscriptions.

If I get HBO Max with Sky TV, can I access the HBO Max still?

No matter where you sign up for HBO Max, the app will then work across all devices.

So, if you sign up for the free account through Sky Glass, for example, you can still watch HBO Max content on your mobile phone or another device in the home.

It's worth noting though, that as its a Basic with Ads subscription, you will not be able to download and watch shows on your travels. You will need to upgrade your tier for offline viewing.

Does that mean the end for Sky Atlantic and HBO shows on Sky?

Sky has been the exclusive home to HBO shows for many years, but the launch of HBO Max sees the end of that agreement.

However, Sky will continue to show all HBO programming that has already debuted on the platform. For example, as the first three seasons of The White Lotus have been shown on Sky Atlantic, it will also host the fourth season when it is available.

That means Sky Atlantic is going nowhere. Other channels, like Sky One, will also show some programming that's available on HBO Max too, such as Peacemaker.

HBO Max though will be the exclusive home to new HBO shows that will premiere on the streaming service, such as medical drama The Pitt.

Will HBO Max be merged with Paramount+ after the buyout?

While HBO Max is launching in the UK with a bang, there is one question hanging over its head: will it still be around this time next year?

That's currently hard to confirm, considering Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery has not yet gone through. It could be a while before it does, in fact.

However, the chief executive of Paramount Skydance, David Ellison, did reveal to investors that he plans to combine Paramount+ and HBO Max in the future. They will become just one streaming service.

Whether that will be under "HBO Max", "Paramount+", or whole new name, we're yet to find out. But either way, you'll likely get a similar service or even double the amount of content for the same price. It's certainly not worth worrying about at present.