New Instagram accounts sporting the HBO Max name and logo popped up this morning hinting at the rollout order of HBO Max’s European expansion.
Back in September, HBO announced that their phased roll-out into Europe will continue in 2022, with 14 more countries assured coverage — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, and Slovenia. But officials made clear that additional territories will be launched during 2022.
One of those additional territories will be Greece whose Instagram bio says, “The home of your favorites. Coming to 🇬🇷 in 2022 💜 #HelloHBOMax”
“This is a historic moment as HBO Max lands in Europe,” said Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International, when the expansion was announced. “WarnerMedia movies and series like Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, and The Big Bang Theory are passionately consumed by fans all across Europe, and HBO Max has been created to provide them with the most intuitive and convenient viewing experience to watch these and a diverse range of other amazing titles.”
HBO Max celebrated its one-year anniversary in the U.S. in May of this year, and in June it launched in 39 territories across Latin America and the Caribbean, marking the service’s first footsteps outside the United States.
HBO Max launched in Europe on October 26th in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Spain, and Andorra and aims to launch in 190 territories around the world by 2026.
International expansion has become increasingly important for streaming giants. That reward, though, comes with difficulty. Regulatory challenges, local competitors and cultural barriers are some of the issues executives will face strategizing an international launch.
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