‘Super streamer’ Max poised for an NZ launch? Again, not so fast

Nose against the glass. Photo / Supplied

Is the road now clear for Warner Bros Discovery to launch its HBO Max app in New Zealand - cutting out middleman Sky TV to sell the streaming service direct to Kiwi consumers?

Nope. Not yet. But the shape of a possible future partnership is starting to emerge.

This morning, Sky TV said in an NZX filing that it had renewed a multi-year deal with Warner Bros Discovery that included HBO content. Its filing did not address exclusivity.

“It is an extension of the current exclusive agreement,” a Sky spokeswoman told the Herald.

A Warner Bros Discovery spokeswoman came it the filing from a different angle, saying: “The deal provides optionality for the future launch of Max in New Zealand.”

That sounded very much like Sky had lost its exclusivity on HBO Max content.

Who is correct?

Neither spokeswoman would comment further, other than saying the deal is “complex”.

But the Herald understands that Warner Bros Discovery’s “optionality” is a reference to the US firm having an option to launch Max in NZ after the current deal ends.

Sky did not put duration on the deal, other than to describe it as “multi-year” (it did not put a dollar value on the contract, either).

If Warner Bros Discovery wants to get its Max app into Kiwi hands before the deal ends, it seems it will have to talk turkey with Sky.

There was a hint of a possible partnership route today, with the Warner Bros Discovery spokeswoman there was “provision to retail Max on Sky platforms”.

Sky’s new Sky Pod and Sky Box let a Sky customer install any TV-compatible app from Google’s Android App store, which would include Max if a geo-block is dropped. The Herald understands a future partnership deal could involve Max getting extra prominence on the new Sky hardware’s interface.

Warner Bros Discovery subsidiary HBO launched Max in a bid to replicate the direct-to-consumer success of Disney+.

HBO’s lineup of hit shows, including Succession, The White Lotus and Game of Thrones, are currently only available to Kiwis through Sky’s SoHo channel and its Neon streaming service.