Available in the United States since May 2020, HBO Max has entered the ultra-competitive world of subscription video on demand in the midst of the pandemic, which has certainly enabled it to attract a large number of subscribers in bad news and leisure at home.
In February 2021, the platform announced that it will expand to 39 Latin American countries in the coming months.
Next destination in sight: Europe.
Among the countries that will host HBO Max on the old continent from this year, we can already mention Spain and Portugal.
France should follow, even in the immediate future, the rights
to HBO content are available exclusively at Orange, via its OCS bouquet.
.
Negotiations expected soon could well change the situation, and give full latitude to HBO Max to settle in France.
In any case, it is not forbidden to look at what this American SVOD service already offers: it allows you to get an idea of the content of the HBO Max catalog, the exclusives that can be found there, or even rates that one can imagine seeing applied in France for the HBO Max subscription.
With our article, you will become unbeatable on HBO Max France even before the platform is available.
Here is everything you need to know about this competitor of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, but also CANAL +.
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Summary: all you need to know about HBO Max France
HBO Max: what date of release in France?
What is the price of the HBO Max subscription?
What movies and series to watch on HBO Max?
HBO Max in the USA
HBO Max France: what release date?
This is the legitimate question that many followers of HBO programs:
When will HBO Max arrive in France?
Right now, we have to admit that the answer is fuzzy.
This is mainly due to a problem of rights.
In fact, at the moment, the series and films produced by HBO are broadcast exclusively within the Orange Cinéma Séries (OCS) channel bouquet in France.
It is indeed this service which has broadcast, in recent years, series such as Game of Thrones, Westworld, I May Destroy You and His Dark Materials, to name but a few.
In fact, we understand that the situation is a bit problematic, but it could well be resolved at the end of 2021, since the contract between OCS and HBO will then end.
In the current context, it is possible that Warner decides not to renew it, to offer its content directly within HBO Max France.
Therefore, we could answer the question by evoking a launch of the HBO Max platform in France at the end of 2021, or at the beginning of 2022. The other possibility is that Warner decides to launch HBO Max in France earlier, with types content that is not affected by its partnership with OCS, but the service catalog could then turn out to be rather thin.
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So how do you get HBO Max in France?
In the immediate future, this is not possible, at least not officially.
There is a way to access it, but it turns out to be a bit technical: you have to take out an American subscription, then use a VPN service to locate the connection in the United States, and thus have access to the American version of HBO Max.
This limits the devices on which you can access it, and the content is often in the original version without subtitles or dubbing.
In short, it is not the most comfortable method to access HBO Max today, but it has the merit of existing.
The wisest thing therefore seems,
currently, to be patient, and possibly to go through OCS to enjoy a significant part of HBO's productions
, while waiting for HBO Max to arrive in France.
It seems rather inconceivable that Warner deprives itself for a very long time of the French market, where HBO's programs are proving to be very popular.
You now know that you will have to wait a bit to enjoy HBO Max France.
What is the price of the HBO Max subscription?
In the United States, HBO Max is among the highest priced SVOD services.
Indeed, Americans must pay no less than $ 14.99 per month to access it.
The platform justifies this price by the richness of the content of its catalog, which is, in fact, significant across the Atlantic: there are more than 10,000 hours of programs, with constant enrichment.
In addition, the vast majority of the catalog being the property of Warner, there is nothing to worry about the disappearance of certain content.
The subscription gives access to HBO Max on three screens simultaneously, and allows to enjoy a picture in 4K Ultra HD with support for HDR and Dolby Atmos when users are equipped accordingly.
Faced with this observation, we can imagine that HBO Max will offer a similar price when it arrives in France.
Either Warner will be satisfied with a simple conversion and will go from 14.99 dollars to 14.99 euros, or he will opt for a slightly lower price to 13.99 euros or 12.99 euros.
Introductory offers may also be offered.
On this point, we can assume that the launch of HBO Max in the first European countries will give a more concrete idea of the tariff envisaged in France.
What movies and series to watch on HBO Max?
HBO Max is a property of Warner: the platform therefore mainly offers content from the famous American studio, which also owns television channels.
In 2020, an HBO Max announcement made Hollywood tremble: all of the major film productions offered by the studio in 2021 will be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max.
In this way, Warner hopes to optimize the audience as well as the income associated with its big budget films, at a time when not all movie theaters are open and audiences may be reluctant to travel.
It can also motivate new people to subscribe to HBO Max to take advantage of the exclusives.
HBO Max series
Basic, HBO Max offers all HBO exclusive series.
This obviously includes
Game of Thrones
and Westworld among its more recent hits, but it should not be forgotten that HBO is also the original broadcaster of programs like The Leftovers, The Wire, Veep, Watchmen, The Sopranos,
Six Feet Under,
Flight of the Conchords, Entourage, Larry et son navel, Carnivale, Big Little Lies, Lovecraft Country, Boardwalk Empire, The New Pope, Mrs.
Fletcher, How to Make It in America or Euphoria, to name just a few series that we have seen in France over the past twenty years.
In addition to these well-known shows, there are exclusives that can only be seen on HBO Max in the United States: this is the case of season 2 of the supervillain series Doom Patrol, but also of seasons 3 and 4. by Search Party.
Raised By Wolves, a science fiction series produced by Ridley Scott, is also offered exclusively on the platform in the USA.
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HBO Max has also established a very strong partnership with the BBC, a British channel that produces Doctor Who, Torchwood, Wallander, The Office, The Sarah Jane Adventures and Top Gear, which can be found in the American.
Finally, on the series side, there is also a background catalog made up of cult Warner series, which are available in their entirety.
Some of these programs are currently available on other SVOD services in France.
But in the United States, HBO Max has chosen to repatriate all of them within its catalog.
This applies to very popular sitcoms like Friends, The Big Bang Theory and its spin-off Young Sheldon, but not only.
The Prince of Bel-Air, Babylon 5, The Flintstones, A la Maison-Blanche, Person of Interest, Pretty Little Liars, The New Adventures of Old Christine, Everwood, Les Jetsons or Newport Beach are included in the catalog of HBO Max.
One can have the impression that there is a lot of déjà vu, and it is the case, but this category of unbeatable series is often essential to seduce subscribers and enrich the number of hours of programs offered. .
HBO Max cartoons
HBO Max owns the rights to Cartoon Network and Adult Swim content: the first channel is aimed at children and teens, and the second clearly targets adults.
The platform therefore offers animated programs for the youngest, such as the complete series Ben 10, Ed, Edd + Eddy, Dexter's Laboratory, Courage the cowardly dog, Samurai Jack and Adventure Time.
For adults, we can count on the entire seasons of Rick and Morty, Robot Chicken, Ballmastrz: 9009 but also YOLO: Crystal Fantasy.
Some of these programs have ended, but for those who are not, HBO Max may well reserve the exclusivity of the following seasons in the future: it is already doing so with Infinity Train, whose season 3 is exclusive. to the platform.
Finally, on the animation side, the platform also offers a selection of Japanese programs from the Crunchyroll service: Kill la Kill, Berserk, Kenshin le Vagabond, The Testament of Sister New Devil, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Hunter X Hunter are notably in the game.
HBO Max movies
Difficult, here, to draw up a real list of available content, since Warner has quite simply decided to integrate hundreds of films from its catalog and those of certain partners within HBO Max.
To quote a part, we can evoke the entire Lord of the Rings saga, including the original trilogy and that of The Hobbit, all the films Alien, Saw, Police Academy, Rocky, Die Hard, Matrix, Fast & Furious, Les Dents de la Mer, Freddy ...
HBO Max also offers pride of place to all the content associated with the DC Comics universe: we therefore find all the superhero films produced by Warner, like all the feature films featuring Batman and Superman, Wonder-Woman, Watchmen, V for Vendetta, Constantine, Catwoman, Green Lantern, Joker… All the Justice League and Lego DC films and animated series, but also many TV films are also in the game.
Lovers of Japanese animation also find something to do with movies, as Warner owns the rights to most of Studio Ghibli's films on HBO Max.
Other HBO Max content
The platform also includes a rather wide range of documentaries, notably taken from the Curiosity Stream catalog, which produces many historical and scientific documentaries.
Part of CNN's thematic report catalog is also available: here too, there is content related to history, but also to criminal investigations and political investigations.
Finally, a humor section is offered.
There are many shows featuring comedians and very famous American presenters, such as Will Ferrell, Chris Rock, Ellen DeGeneres, Bill Maher, Amy Schumer and many more.
HBO Max in the USA
Launched in May 2020 in the United States, HBO Max aimed, from the start, to compete with SVOD giants such as Netflix, Prime Video or even Disney +.
Warner has succeeded, in particular by choosing to offer highly anticipated programs exclusively within its platform.
Last year, the film Wonder Woman 84 was offered on the platform at the same time as a limited theatrical release.
In March of this year, the release of the movie Zack Synder's Justice League even crashed the servers of HBO Max, so much success was present.
With very strong meetings scheduled for 2021, notably with The Suicide Squad, Godzilla vs King Kong, Matrix 4 or even Dune, we can imagine that HBO Max will further strengthen its user base in the USA.
It remains to be seen what strategy Warner's service will apply when it arrives in Europe.
To take advantage of the HBO catalog in France, take advantage of the subscription promotion with OCS