HBO Max UK Full Guide: Pricing, Plans And How To Watch

HBO Max is finally here in the UK – and if you’re trying to work out what it is, how much it costs, and the best way to get it, you’ve come to the right place.

The short version: it’s Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service, it launched on March 26, 2026, and it brings together HBO’s back catalogue, Warner Bros. films, new originals, and TNT Sports all in one app.

You can subscribe directly, or access it through Sky, NOW, EE TV, or Prime Video.

The longer version is… complicated. HBO content has been on Sky for decades, and that relationship hasn’t ended – it’s just changed shape.

Depending on how you currently watch TV, you might already have HBO Max included in your existing subscription without realising it. Or you might be paying more than you need to. Or you might be missing out on content that’s available elsewhere.

This guide covers everything – what’s on it, what it costs, how to get it through every available route, and which option makes the most sense for your situation.

What Is HBO Max?

HBO Max is the streaming service from Warner Bros. Discovery – the company behind HBO, Warner Bros. film studios, Warner Bros. Television, DC Studios, and TNT Sports.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because it’s been available in the US and many other countries for years – launched originally as HBO Max in 2020, briefly rebranded as just “Max” in 2023, then brought back to HBO Max.

In the UK, HBO content has traditionally been available exclusively through Sky – Sky Atlantic has been the home of Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession, and pretty much every prestige HBO drama you can think of.

That’s been the case for decades, and it meant UK viewers never had the option to subscribe directly to an HBO service the way Americans have.

That changes now – though as we’ll get to, the Sky relationship hasn’t ended.

What’s On HBO Max?

HBO Shows

The headline draw is HBO’s back catalogue – and it’s a serious one.

Game of Thrones, Succession, The Sopranos, The Wire, Euphoria (seasons one and two), The White Lotus, Big Little Lies, Veep, Girls, Boardwalk Empire, Six Feet Under, Curb Your Enthusiasm – the list goes on and on.

If you’ve ever heard someone rave about a prestige drama and wondered where to find it, there’s a good chance it’s here.

For newer content, the flagship launch title is The Pitt – the Emmy, Golden Globe, and Critics Choice Award-winning medical drama starring Noah Wyle.

Season one is available in full, with season two episodes rolling out weekly. It’s one of the few major HBO titles at launch that hasn’t previously aired on Sky, which makes it the clearest early example of what HBO Max-exclusive content looks like in the UK.

Coming soon: Euphoria season three arrives in April, House of the Dragon season three later in 2026, and Lanterns – the DC Green Lantern series – also due in 2026. 

There’s also a strong international slate, including the French drama The Seduction (a reimagining of Les Liaisons Dangereuses), the Spanish-language Like Water for Chocolate (executive produced by Salma Hayek Pinault), and the Italian series Portobello.

Documentary fans get the Oscar-nominated Armed Only With a Camera: The Life and Death of Brent Renaud, a Mel Brooks two-parter called The 99 Year Old Man!, and Boom Box: Beats and Betrayal – a British true crime series about a London recording studio that became entangled in the illegal arms trade.

Films

Warner Bros. films are included on HBO Max – but which ones you can access depends on your subscription tier (more on that below).

The back catalogue is available on all paid tiers, including entire franchises (such as Lord of the Rings). 

The newest theatrical releases – films that arrive on HBO Max after their cinema run – are only available on Standard with Ads and above. At launch, that includes the Oscar-nominated One Battle After Another, Sinners, Superman, and A Minecraft Movie.

One important note: the UK library is not identical to the US one. Some titles available on HBO Max in the US won’t be here, either because UK rights are held elsewhere or because they haven’t been licensed for this market.

The Larry Sanders Show, for example, is on HBO Max in the US but not in the UK. Dune Part I is available on HBO Max UK – but Dune Part 2, which is available in the US, is only available on Prime Video in the UK. And I’m sure our readers will find more examples.

What About Shows Still On Sky Atlantic?

HBO series that began their UK run on Sky Atlantic – including Euphoria, The Last of Us, House of the Dragon, and The White Lotus – will continue to air on Sky Atlantic simultaneously with HBO Max.

So if you’re a Sky or NOW subscriber, your day-to-day viewing of those shows doesn’t change.

The full back catalogue for those shows, however, is on HBO Max – so if you want to catch up on earlier seasons, that’s where you’ll find them.

And worth a specific mention since a lot of people will be searching for it – yes, all ten seasons of Friends are on HBO Max. It has left Netflix for its new (and arguably more logical) home.

How Much Does HBO Max Cost?

HBO Max has four monthly entertainment tiers:

All plans stream on 2 devices in Full HD, except Premium which gives you 4 devices and 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Atmos where available.

A couple of things worth noting. First, Basic with Ads isn’t prominently displayed on HBO Max’s website – it’s tucked away under a “More Plans” button, with Standard with Ads presented as the entry point.

If you want the cheapest tier, you’ll need to look for it.

Second, if you’re on Basic with Ads, the app doesn’t show you upfront which films require a higher tier – you only find out when you tap through to a title and see a “Get Access” button. It’s a mild frustration which may change in the future.

Compared to Netflix (where Standard with Ads is £5.99/month, Standard is £12.99/month, and Premium is £18.99/month), HBO Max is good value at the lower tiers – particularly given the quality of the content library, though in terms of quantity, Netflix certainly has the lead.

How To Get HBO Max

Direct Subscription

The simplest route. Go to hbomax.com, choose your plan, and sign up. All four tiers are available, and you can add TNT Sports.

One quirk worth knowing: if you’re signing up on Android, you can’t create your account directly through the Android app – you need to go to hbomax.com first to create your account, then log in on the app.

On Fire TV, Roku and some of the other apps, you can sign up directly within the app itself.

Sky

If you’re a Sky customer, there’s a good chance HBO Max Basic with Ads is already included in your subscription from March 26.

Sky customers get a proper standalone HBO Max account, meaning you can use the HBO Max app directly on any compatible device.

 

Here’s how eligibility breaks down by Sky package:

• Sky Stream and Sky Glass with Sky Ultimate TV: HBO Max Basic with Ads included
• Sky Q customers with Sky Signature, Sky Entertainment, and most other Sky Q packages (except TV Essentials and Sky Basics): HBO Max Basic with Ads included
• Sky+ customers: HBO Max content is accessible on demand from your Sky homepage, but you don’t get the full HBO Max app or an upgrade path
• Sky Essential TV customers: not included, but you can upgrade to Ultimate TV or purchase HBO Max separately through Sky Marketplace

Sky Atlantic will continue to carry new seasons of returning HBO shows – simultaneously with HBO Max.

Sky Go also continues to carry those Sky Atlantic titles, but HBO Max-exclusive content (like The Pitt) is not available on Sky Go – for that, you use the HBO Max app directly with your Sky login.

Upgrading your HBO Max tier through Sky

Sky customers can upgrade from the included Basic with Ads tier at any time through the MySky area on your TV, the My Sky app, or Sky.com. You only pay the difference above Basic with Ads:

• Standard (Full HD, newest films, 30 downloads, ad-free): +£5/month
• Premium (4K, 4 devices, 100 downloads, ad-free): +£10/month

Note that you can’t upgrade through Sky’s call centres – it has to be done through MySky or online.

How to activate HBO Max on Sky

On your Sky home screen, select HBO Max (or say HBO Max) and choose Continue. On the Welcome screen, choose Get Started.

Enter a new email address, or your existing HBO Max email address if you have one from another country. Follow the prompts to create your account or link an existing one.

Make sure you’re signed out of any existing HBO Max account on your Sky device before starting.

TNT Sports on Sky

TNT Sports is not included in HBO Max Basic with Ads. If you already subscribe to TNT Sports through Sky, your subscription continues to be billed through Sky and the channels remain in your Sky TV Guide – but from March 26, the extra TNT Sports content that was previously on Discovery+ moves to the HBO Max app.

To access it, open the HBO Max app and sign in. Taking the TNT Sports package through Sky automatically unlocks the correct HBO Max tier at no extra cost.

NOW

From March 26, HBO Max is built directly into the NOW TV app – there’s no separate app to install.

If you were an existing NOW Entertainment subscriber before today, you’ve automatically been upgraded to NOW Entertainment & HBO Max at no extra cost. The content simply appears alongside everything else.

Which NOW Entertainment plan do you need?

As of today, NOW has two Entertainment plans – and the difference matters.

NOW Entertainment & HBO Max (Currently £6.99/month with a 6-month minimum term, or £9.99/month rolling) includes the full HBO Max Basic with Ads library – every HBO series including the back catalogue, new originals like The Pitt, and Warner Bros. back catalogue films.

NOW Entertainment (£7.99/month rolling, currently available for £2.99/month with a 6-month minimum term) includes Sky Originals and Exclusives, plus new seasons of returning HBO shows – so things like Euphoria S3, House of the Dragon, and The Last of Us will be available on this tier when they air. But you won’t get the full back catalogue, and you won’t get new HBO originals like The Pitt.

To put that concretely: if you want to watch Euphoria S3 when it arrives in April, the cheaper Entertainment plan is fine. If you want to watch seasons one and two first, or watch The Pitt, you need Entertainment & HBO Max.

If you were already a NOW Entertainment subscriber before today, you don’t need to do anything – you’re automatically on Entertainment & HBO Max. The two-plan choice only applies to new subscribers signing up from today.

One thing NOW doesn’t really highlight: HBO Max films ARE included in the NOW Entertainment & HBO Max plan.

That means a selection of Warner Bros. back catalogue titles – the same ones included in HBO Max’s Basic with Ads tier – are available in the NOW app without needing a separate NOW Cinema subscription. 

Picture quality and streams on NOW

Without any Boost add-on, HBO Max content in the NOW app streams in 720p and is limited to one simultaneous stream. That’s lower than what you’d get subscribing directly to HBO Max at £4.99/month (or using the standalone HBO Max app), which gives you Full HD and two streams.

Adding NOW Boost (£6/month) brings HBO Max content up to Full HD and removes on-demand ads. Ultra Boost (£9/month) gets you 4K and Dolby Atmos – all on the NOW app.

The standalone HBO Max app option

Here’s something NOW doesn’t really advertise – but it exists, and it’s worth knowing about.

NOW Entertainment & HBO Max subscribers can activate a fully standalone HBO Max account, giving them direct access to the HBO Max app on any supported device – just as if they’d subscribed directly.

To do this, contact NOW via live chat and request the HBO Max activation link. You can also wait for an activation email from NOW, though these may take some time to arrive – so if you haven’t received one yet, the live chat route is more reliable.

The standalone app gives you Full HD streaming as standard (no Boost required), two simultaneous streams, and Warner Bros. back catalogue films included – without paying for Boost.

The trade-offs: you can’t upgrade your HBO Max tier within the standalone app. Boost and Ultra Boost benefits – including ad removal and 4K – apply only to the NOW app, not the standalone HBO Max app.

Your watchlist and Continue Watching lists also won’t sync between the two apps.

EE TV

EE TV is available to BT Broadband and EE Broadband customers, and some of its TV bundles include a NOW Entertainment membership – which means HBO Max arrives on EE TV on the same terms as NOW.

EE TV customers with an Entertainment bundle (£22/month) get NOW Entertainment & HBO Max included, with HBO Max content appearing in the NOW app.

The same standalone HBO Max app activation option available to NOW subscribers is also available to EE TV customers – contact NOW via live chat to request your activation link.

The Big Entertainment bundle (£32/month) adds NOW Cinema on top, which covers the newest theatrical releases not included in the Entertainment membership.

One limitation: NOW Ultra Boost (which gets you 4K and Dolby Atmos on HBO Max content within the NOW app) is not available to EE TV customers. Regular Boost is available and can be added to EE TV bundles if it isn’t already included.

EE TV Sport bundle customers get TNT Sports access, which moves to the HBO Max app from March 26 – download the app and sign in with your existing Discovery+ credentials to continue watching.

Prime Video Channels

HBO Max is available as an add-on through Prime Video Channels, with one caveat: the Premium tier (4K, 4 devices) is not available through Prime Video.

The available tiers are Basic with Ads (£4.99/month), Standard with Ads (£5.99/month), and Standard (£9.99/month).

There are some advantages of subscribing through Prime Video – everything is managed through a single Amazon bill, and HBO Max content appears directly within the Prime Video app – so if Prime Video is already your default streaming destination, you don’t need to switch between apps.

It also works on any device that supports Prime Video, which covers just about everything.

Prime Video Channels subscribers can also activate a standalone HBO Max account, giving them direct access to the HBO Max app alongside watching through Prime Video.

The process is slightly different from NOW: go to HBOMax.com/login, choose to create an HBO Max account, select Prime Video, and sign in to your Amazon account to link the subscription.

Virgin Media

Virgin Media TV customers don’t currently have any bundle deal or preferential pricing for HBO Max, and the service is not eligible for Virgin’s 10% monthly credit discount on Flex.

Virgin customers can subscribe to HBO Max as a standalone app at the standard prices.

The HBO Max app itself is available on Virgin Media TV 360 and Stream boxes (though we don’t have information about the older boxes yet).

Worth knowing if you’re a Virgin Media TV subscriber: from April 1, Sky Atlantic is coming to Virgin Media TV bundles for the first time.

That means new seasons of returning HBO shows will be available through your existing Virgin bundle at no extra cost via Sky Atlantic.

If those are the main shows you’re interested in, it may be worth waiting until April 1 before deciding whether you need a separate HBO Max subscription.

TNT Sports On HBO Max

From March 26, TNT Sports has a new streaming home – HBO Max. It’s moved from Discovery+, and if you were previously watching TNT Sports on Discovery+, you’ll now find it in the HBO Max app instead.

TNT Sports Pricing

TNT Sports costs £30.99/month on a rolling monthly basis – unchanged from before. 

If you’re willing to commit to 12 months, direct HBO Max subscribers can take advantage of Saver Plans, available only at hbomax.com (not through Sky, NOW, or any other partner):

If You Previously Subscribed To TNT Sports Through Discovery+

How the migration works depends on how you subscribed:

Directly via discoveryplus.com: your subscription has automatically continued on HBO Max. Download the HBO Max app and sign in with your existing Discovery+ email and password.

Via Amazon Appstore or Roku: your Discovery+ TNT Sports subscription ended at your next billing date after February 21. You’ll need to subscribe to TNT Sports directly on HBO Max.

Via Apple or Google: your plan changed from TNT Sports & Entertainment to TNT Sports only, with the price dropping from £33.99 to £30.99. Discovery+ entertainment content continued until March 26 – after that, you’ll need to resubscribe to Discovery+ separately if you want it.

Via BT/EE TV: download the HBO Max app and sign in with your Discovery+ credentials. Discovery+ entertainment content continues in the Discovery+ app.

Via O2: your subscription has automatically continued on HBO Max. Download the HBO Max app and sign in with your Discovery+ email and password.

Via Prime Video: your TNT Sports & Entertainment subscription has changed to a standalone TNT Sports subscription at £30.99/month, with a refund issued for unused days of your previous billing period. You’ll need to resubscribe to Discovery+ separately if you want the entertainment content.

Via Sky: download the HBO Max app and activate your TNT Sports subscription through Sky. Discovery+ entertainment content continues in the Discovery+ app.

If you’re not sure which plan you have or had, sign in at discoveryplus.com, click your profile icon, go to Account, and check the Subscription section.

What Devices Can You Watch HBO Max On?

It’s a long list, which includes:

• Amazon Fire TV sticks and Fire TV sets
• Roku devices
• Android TV and Google TV devices
• Samsung Smart TVs
• LG Smart TVs
• PlayStation (PS4 and PS5)
• Xbox
• iOS (iPhone and iPad)
• Android phones and tablets
• Virgin Media TV 360 and Stream
• EE TV 
• Sky Stream, Sky Glass, and Sky Q (via the HBO Max app)
• Netgem Pleio Freely box

You can create up to five personalised profiles, get tailored recommendations, and use Continue Watching.

Offline downloads are available depending on your plan – 30 per month on Standard with Ads and Standard, 100 per month on Premium.

Which Subscription Path Is Best For Me?

If you’ve reached this far, and you’re still feeling confused, here’s the no-frills version:

You’re already a Sky Ultimate TV customer: HBO Max Basic with Ads is already included at no extra cost. If that’s enough, there’s nothing to do. If you want 4K, no ads, or the newest films, you can upgrade cheaply through MySky – £5/month for Standard, or £10/month for Premium.

You’re already a NOW Entertainment subscriber: You’ve been automatically upgraded to NOW Entertainment & HBO Max. If you’re happy watching in the NOW app, nothing changes. If you want Full HD without paying for Boost, consider activating the standalone HBO Max app via NOW live chat.

You’re a NEW subscriber deciding between NOW and direct: NOW Entertainment & HBO Max at £6.99/month (6-month minimum) gets you HBO Max content within the NOW app alongside Sky Originals and Exclusive content – Sky Atlantic, Sky Comedy, and the rest of the NOW entertainment lineup.

Direct at £4.99/month gets you HBO Max only, but in Full HD with two streams as standard. If you mainly want HBO content and nothing else, direct is cheaper and better out of the box. If you want HBO Max plus Sky’s own content, NOW at £6.99/month is strong value.

You’re on Prime Video and want to keep everything in one place: Prime Video Channels is a convenient option – one bill, one app, works everywhere Prime Video works.

The only limitation is that the Premium tier (4K) isn’t available through Prime Video. You can also activate the standalone HBO Max app alongside it if you want the flexibility of both.

You’re a Virgin Media customer: No bundle deal here. Subscribe directly to HBO Max at standard prices, or wait until April 1 when Sky Atlantic arrives on Virgin bundles – at which point new seasons of returning HBO shows will be included with your existing subscription.

You want TNT Sports: If you’re subscribing directly, the Saver Plans at hbomax.com are worth considering if you’re happy to commit to 12 months – the savings are meaningful, particularly on the combined entertainment and sports bundles.

TNT Sports is not available as an upgrade through NOW or EE TV, so for those subscribers, direct is the only route to a bundled entertainment and sports subscription.

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