Everything you need to know about HBO Max – and what it means for your favourite shows

All the important details about the upcoming launch of HBO Max in New Zealand.

If you love watching television, then it’s great news for you. Before this new streaming service launches in New Zealand on Tuesday, June 16, we’ve pulled together everything you need to know about HBO Max – including all the details about what shows will be available to stream. Happy watching!

What exactly is HBO Max?

HBO Max is a new, standalone premium streaming service that launches in Aotearoa on June 16. HBO Max is the home of the best entertainment including HBO, Warner Bros., Max Originals, the DC Universe, Harry Potter and Discovery, offering a huge variety of quality television shows and blockbuster movies, all in one place.

HBO Max has been steadily rolling out across the world, including in Australia last year. Now, it’s New Zealand’s turn.

Wait, haven’t I already been watching HBO Max here in New Zealand?

Kind of. Neon and Sky had an HBO Max offering on their service, but from June 16, HBO Max content will be leaving Sky and Neon and moving to its standalone platform.

OK, so what will happen to all my favourite HBO Max shows?

No need to panic! HBO Max will be the new home for the very best dramas, comedies and blockbuster movies on television at the moment, so you won’t miss a minute of Dr Robbie saving lives on must-watch medical drama The Pitt or Jacob Elordi’s hectic unravelling on Euphoria. All the HBO Max content that’s previously been available on Neon and Sky will only be available on the standalone HBO Max platform from June 16.

OK, but what else can I watch on HBO Max?

HBO Max is the home of prestige television, and there’s no shortage of great HBO Original shows to choose from. If you’re looking for a zeitgeisty show to pull you in from the very first scene, you won’t go wrong with Pedro Pascal’s dystopian drama The Last of Us, or the Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, or the wonderfully nerve-wracking IT: Welcome to Derry.

HBO Max also has all three seasons of the brilliant The White Lotus (they’re filming the fourth season right now), and there’s also the Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of Seven Kingdoms, which dropped earlier this year, with a second season already confirmed.

HBO Max also has an impressive catalogue of award-winning, quality HBO Original shows that continue to stand the test of time. From the brilliant Sopranos and The Wire, to Game of Thrones and Girls, there’s an excellent range of critically acclaimed, highly bingeable shows. For lighter fare, HBO Max also includes every episode of comedies like The Big Bang Theory, Sex & the City (and the recent sequel And Just Like That…) and Veep, plus plenty of superhero action from the DC Universe. Basically, if you’ve always wanted to binge-watch all 86 episodes of The Sopranos over a week-long holiday, now’s your chance.

And there’s movies, too?

Absolutely. From Superman to Sinners to One Battle After Another and Wuthering Heights, HBO Max has all the recent big-budget Warner Bros. blockbusters. Plus, HBO Max also has Discovery, which specialises in gritty unscripted series like Deadliest Catch and Outback Opal Hunters, and the DC Universe, which includes Colin Farrell’s brilliant The Penguin series and films like Wonder Woman and The Dark Knight.

What new HBO Max shows should I be looking forward to?

There’s plenty of fantastic new television shows to get excited about. If you love to escape into a gripping fantasy series, a brand-new season of House of the Dragon launches on June 22. Big Bang Theory fans are keenly awaiting the new spinoff series Stuart Fails to Save the Universe in July, while Lanterns – a superhero series from the DC universe – kicks off in August. The fourth season of sumptuous period drama The Gilded Age will also drop later in the year, and the much-anticipated Harry Potter series will be out Christmas.

How do I access the new HBO Max platform?

It’s easy. From June 16, you’ll be able to download the HBO Max app to your phone, computer, TV, tablet, streaming device or gaming console. From there, you choose your plan and start watching. You can also subscribe through HBO Max’s website.

Remind me again – when does HBO Max launch, and how much will it cost? HBO Max launches in New Zealand on June 16, so there’s not long to wait. There’ll be ad-free Standard and Premium plans, with a special introductory promo offer starting at $10.99 monthly for the first six months if you subscribe before July 16, 2026.

Still curious? Find out more on HBO Max’s official website.