WBD’s Max Readies Rollout in Asia-Pacific, Requires Multiple Models: ‘Our Goal Is to Reach the Fan Base’

As a cinephile with a penchant for exploring the vast realm of global cinema, I eagerly await the expansion of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service across Asia-Pacific and Australia. Having traversed the continents to immerse myself in the rich tapestry of local films, I can attest to the importance of a diverse content offering that caters to regional tastes.


In the latter part of this year, Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming platform Max is set to debut in five Southeast Asian countries, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and in the first half of 2025, Australia. This expansion involves adopting various approaches for conducting business.

Max, an advanced streaming service which merges the content libraries of HBO and Discovery, has been launched in North America, parts of Europe, and Latin America. However, its expansion into the Asia-Pacific area is moving at a gradual pace.

It launches Wednesday in Japan, in a partnership with local Japanese streamer U-Next.

In the upcoming period, James Gibbons, president of APAC at Warner Bros. Discovery, mentioned there will be numerous announcements. We aim to approach these unveilings with adaptability and variety. Expect a blend of independent services and collaborative partnerships. Our ultimate objective is to cater to our fanbase.

This approach calls for consumer launches directly, app integrations with our partners, and more extensive collaborations with telecoms, streaming services, or pay-TV providers. The Max launch in Japan presents the entire Max service within a designated branded area on the popular local streamer U-Next, at no extra charge to its users.

In Southeast Asia, which includes Hong Kong and Taiwan, Max service is set to take over from HBO Go, an older service offering less variety in content. On the other hand, Australia will introduce a direct-to-consumer model for the same service in the first half of 2025.

At the APOS media and entertainment conference held in Indonesia on Wednesday, Gibbons emphasized the importance of a blend of locally produced content.

Gibbons stated that we prioritize Asian content significantly, not just from Max’s standpoint but also from the studio’s. It is essential for Max to be associated with such content.

Gibbons explained a bilateral partnership with U-Next. “We can tap into their Japanese content,” he stated, hinting at potential chances to share U-Next’s Japanese content with audiences worldwide who are currently outside the scope of U-Next’s streaming reach.

Although HBO Asia has reduced its activity as a content commissioner compared to past years, Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) continues to be a content creator within the region. In Japan, WBD is growing as an anime producer and a local adapter for group intellectual properties.

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2024-09-25 06:16