EXCLUSIVE | FOXTEL aims to take HBO to the MAX

As the streaming market gets more and more complicated, Australian consumers will have one less choice to make with confirmation new player HBO Max will not be entering the Australian market in the near future.

A recent trademark filing to secure the HBO Max brand in Australia had fueled media speculation WarnerMedia was seeking to launch in the Australian market next year.

However, this speculation has now proven to be misguided.

Speaking at an unveiling event this week, WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey, confirmed HBO Max would launch in the US in May 2020. The product would then only expand to Latin America, and parts of Europe in 2021.

Stankey went on to indicate HBO Max would eventually enter further international markets by;

“leaning on our licensing relationships with key partners in territories where we believe market conditions warrant a different approach.”

In Australia, Foxtel holds an exclusive arrangement with HBO, granting it ‘first-run’ access to an impressive list of drama titles including Succession, Euphoria, Watchmen, and a recently announced Game of Thrones prequel House of the Dragon.

While the company never comments on the specific terms of the deal. A spokesperson for Foxtel recently confirmed to TV Blackbox; the HBO supply contract was still a ‘long-term’ proposition.

Additionally, TV Blackbox understands Foxtel is now seeking to expand its agreement with WarnerMedia in a move that could potentially see it secure an expanded library of HBO Max original content.

WarnerMedia has committed to launching HBO Max with 31 exclusive original titles This library is expected to expand to 50 original productions in the second year and comes as an addition to the 38 titles being supplied by HBO.

Original content now under production for HBO Max includes;

• Gremlins: Secrets of the Mogwai

• Adventure Time: Distant Lands

• Search Party

• Love Life with Anna Kendrick

• Made for Love with Ray Romano

• College Girls by Mindy Kaling

• Crime Farm produced by Nicole Kidman

• Raised by Wolves directed by Ridley Scott

Foxtel is also moving forward with plans to launch its own dedicated entertainment streaming service, currently being developed under the codename ‘Project Ares’. Max Mason in the Australian Financial Review has been reporting on the development of the project over the past year.

Based on the ‘Kayo’ model, the new stand-alone streaming business is expected to launch in the second quarter of 2020 and will feature a steady supply of original new HBO, FX and BBC drama titles as it looks to stand out from competitors including Netflix.

‘Project Ares’ will also benefit from Foxtel’s existing pay-tv content deals with library titles including Friends, The Simpsons, South Park, Seinfeld, Big Bang Theory and The Office. Its a library of content other streaming providers have recently been investing big dollars, competing against each to secure.

HBO Max will launch in the US with a monthly subscription price of $14.99US, placing it at the high-end of the SVOD market, but still significantly cheaper than a traditional HBO cable subscription.

This weekend will see the Australian launch of AppleTV+, followed by the long-awaited launch of Disney+ on November 19.