Max - Max becomes HBO Max and celebrates its first anniversary in France

By Mulder, 09 july 2025

Just one year ago, Max took its first steps in an already ultra-competitive French market, where Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ have reigned supreme for several years. And yet, in the space of just twelve short months, HBO Max—the platform's new name since July 9, 2025—has established itself with impressive speed and efficiency. Building on globally recognized franchises such as Game of Thrones, Harry Potter, and The Last of Us, while developing a solid French offering and a unique proposition around live sports, HBO Max already ranks among the top five most-watched SVOD platforms in France. To mark its first anniversary, the platform is celebrating not only a spectacular rise in popularity—doubling in six months according to Médiamétrie—but also an aggressive strategy: in 2025, it will simply double its investment in French productions.

This meteoric rise is no accident. From the outset, HBO Max has focused on wide distribution (Canal+, Free, Prime Video, Orange, SFR, etc.) and an app with acclaimed usability, voted “Best App of the Year” by Google Play France in 2024. But it is above all its editorial line that has won over French subscribers: cult series such as Succession, The Sopranos, The White Lotus, The Penguin and the new arrival The Pitt have created those famous “moments of shared culture” that no other platform has been able to generate with such regularity for so long. The power of the American catalog is obvious, but it is HBO Max's ability to adapt this expertise to the local market that makes the difference.

HBO Max's strong French roots are undoubtedly one of the keys to its success. Unlike some of its competitors, who were slow to invest in local original content, HBO Max established a strong identity from the outset with critically acclaimed titles selected for the biggest French festivals. From Une amie dévouée, starring Laure Calamy, to Le Sens des Choses, Malditos, Kerviel: Un Trader, 50 Milliards, and the highly acclaimed Maintenant ou Jamais: FC Montfermeil, the platform has established a unique style. The recognition is already there: Elsa Guedj received an acting award at Séries Mania for her role in Le Sens des Choses. This is just the beginning: projects such as Merteuil, Privilèges, and Paolo are already in the works, proof of HBO Max's long-term ambition in the French audiovisual landscape.

What also sets HBO Max apart from its competitors is its bold decision to include live sports in its SVOD offering, a gamble that has paid off. Thanks to its partnership with Eurosport, subscribers were able to watch the entire 2024 Paris Olympics, with more than 3,800 hours of live coverage of 62 simultaneous competitions. This immersive and unique experience has significantly boosted subscriptions and built loyalty among an audience hungry for live content. And the offer doesn't stop there: tennis with the US Open and Australian Open, cycling with the Tour de France, winter sports with the Alpine Ski World Cup, and the next Olympic Games until 2030. This combination of premium fiction and live sports remains unique on the French market to date.

The future looks just as promising for HBO Max. Its lineup for the coming months sets the tone: IT: Welcome to Derry, a television adaptation inspired by the world of Stephen King, already promises to haunt subscribers. Fantasy fans are eagerly awaiting A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, a new foray into the world of Game of Thrones. On the thriller front, Task, the new series from Brad Ingelsby, creator of Mare of Easttown, is generating growing excitement. And superhero fans will have something to cheer about with Lanterns, an ambitious DC series with supernatural overtones. Not to mention the highly anticipated Harry Potter series and season 2 of Dune: Prophecy, the spin-off event from the Dune movie universe. These powerful titles are sure to fuel cultural conversation and keep the platform at the top.

Beyond France, HBO Max is also continuing its global expansion. With 123 million subscribers worldwide, Warner Bros. Discovery's platform is poised to reach a historic milestone: after launching in 12 new European countries in July, it will soon be available in nearly 100 markets. And that's not all: Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom are in the pipeline for 2026. This internationalization comes with a clear ambition: to establish the HBO Max brand as a label of excellence, a must-have destination for fans of compelling storytelling, whether through fiction, documentaries, animation, or live sports.

As Clément Schwebig, President of Warner Bros. Discovery Western Europe and Africa, perfectly sums it up: “In just one year, Max has found its place in the French market thanks to a demanding editorial line and a unique offering that combines premium fiction and live sports. Today, with the name change to HBO Max, we are taking another step forward.” And what a step. In less than twelve months, HBO Max has managed to combine artistic ambition, cultural impact, and industrial strategy with rare precision. It is no longer just a platform, it is already a strong cultural brand, a regular fixture for viewers, a demanding partner for creators, and an unprecedented force in the French audiovisual ecosystem.

For more information, visit www.hbomax.com

(Source: press release)