Warner Bros Discovery to launch Max streaming service in Europe before Olympics
(Reuters) - Warner Bros Discovery said on Thursday it was set to launch its Max streaming service in Europe from May 21, ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris this year.
The platform will feature content from HBO Max's scripted entertainment such as "The Sopranos" and "The Wire", Discovery's reality shows and Eurosport's television network to the audience in Europe.
Pricing details for the new launches will be announced at a later date and will vary from country to country, the company said. Max's starting price for U.S. subscribers is $9.99 a month for the ad-supported plan.
Warner Bros Discovery launched Max in the U.S. last May in a push to strengthen its streaming growth in the face of growing competition from companies such as Netflix and Walt Disney.
Max, home to a library of content including "House of the Dragon", will be initially rolled out in the Nordics, Iberia, and Central and Eastern Europe in May, followed closely by launches in Poland, the Netherlands, France, and Belgium.
The platform will stream every live event from the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris across the European countries where the service is made available, the company said.
"Paris 2024 will be included in all subscription plans, ensuring all customers will gain complete access to the biggest sporting event in the world," Warner Bros Discovery said.
Subscribers will also have access to content such as international and European sports including all four tennis Grand Slam events – the Australian Open, the French Open Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.
The European launches of Max will also coincide with the season 2 premiere of HBO Original "House of the Dragon" on June 17.
(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese; Editing by Devika Syamnath)
