HBO Max before German launch: "We are far too cheap"

What prices can customers expect at the German market launch of the streaming service HBO Max? The CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery at least sees the opportunity to raise prices considerably compared to the previous subscription structure in the USA.

“Our quality gives us the opportunity to raise prices,” said CEO David Zaslav at a conference organized by Goldman Sachs, according to the Hollywood Reporter. “We believe we are way too cheap.” At the same time, Zaslav admitted that the company is in no hurry to raise prices.

HBO Max is currently not available in Germany. A look at the US domestic market is a good benchmark for possible price structures. There, HBO Max with advertising costs 10 US dollars per month, standard costs 17 US dollars per month, and the premium level 21 US dollars—apparently too little, Zaslav believes.

Probably no more partnership with Sky

It remains to be seen whether HBO Max will be offered at higher prices right from the start in Germany—or whether Warner wants to make it easier for German customers to get started with a discount. Manager Matthias Heinze recently took a positive view of the German launch of HBO Max planned for early 2026 at the “Media Tasting” media congress: “It's not too late,” said Heinze, referring to the rising number of streaming subscriptions per household in Germany. “There's still room for improvement.”

HBO has developed numerous highly acclaimed series, including “Game of Thrones” and “Westworld” or, more recently, “The Last of Us.” Much of this content was previously available in Germany via a subscription to Sky or its streaming service Wow. It is unlikely that Warner will renew this partnership considering HBO Max's own German launch. “Because of Sky's strong sports focus, we have not reached some target groups,” said Warner manager Heinze in the summer. “We want a platform on which all content is available.”

(dahe)