Streaming service MAX sets launch date for Australia and pricing – and it’s not cheap!

Warner Bros Discovery, the big media company that is launching the “Max” streaming service in Australia has released more details of the content and pricing for Aussie viewers.

Kicking off from Monday March 31, Aussies will be able to get all the “WBD” content in one place, including HBO content, Warner Bros, Harry Potter, DC Universe, HGTV, Discovery and a whole lot more, from movies to TV shows.

A big title for the launch is the HBO Original “The Last of Us” which will launch on April 14, but there’s also good old classics from TCM (Turner Classic Movies).

Michael Brooks, General Manager of Australia and New Zealand at Warner Bros. Discovery, said: “Max’s breadth and depth of premium entertainment is unparalleled, and for the first time Australians can enjoy all of this world-class content in one place. Combined with a variety of plans and pricing, including a strong introductory price until April 30, Max will offer a distinct streaming proposition in the market.” 

There are three plans, Basic with Ads, Standard and Premium.

Basic will be $11.99 or $119.99 per year with a first month launch price of $7.99 for the first 12 months or $79.99 for the first year.

On the Ad suported plan, content is in HD and you can use two devices at one time to stream.

Then there’s “Standard” which will be $15.99 per month or $159.99 per year, with users who sign up in April getting it for $11.99 a month or $119.99 per year.

That content is also in Full HD and available on two devices at a time, but also allows 30 downloads at a time for offline viewing.

Jump up to Premium for 4K content and Dolby Atmos, with streaming on up to four devices. This will set you back $21.99 a month or $219.99 for a year, the launch pricing is $17.99 a month or $179.99 for the up-front payment.

On Premium you also get up to 100 downloads for offline viewing.

It’s a pricey offering, rivalling Netflix, so it’s content offering has to be good.

Here’s how Max themselves outline that Content offering:

• Exclusive, ground-breaking HBO Originals, including current and returning seasons of The Last of Us, Euphoria, House of the Dragon and The White Lotus, as well as new upcoming series A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, IT: Welcome to Derry and Duster. Subscribers will also have access to award-winning series, True Detective, Game of Thrones and Succession.
• Key Max Originals including And Just Like That…, Peacemaker, Paul American and The Pitt.
• Warner Bros. Hollywood blockbusters like Barbie, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Wonka, Trap and Twisters, alongside full collections from Harry Potter, Dune, Lord of the Rings and the DC Universe.
• Worldwide hits including Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Gossip Girl, Sex and the City, Rick and Morty, The Sopranos and Gilmore Girls.
• TCM classics such as Casablanca, The Wizard of Oz, A Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket and Rebel Without a Cause.
• Extensive Cartoon Network and CARTOONITO offering for kids and families, from Adventure Time, Looney Tunes and Scooby Doo, to Ben 10, We Bare Bears and Teen Titans Go!
• Real-life stories from Discovery, TLC, Food Network and ID, including hit reality content 90 Day Fiancé, The Baldwins, Naked and Afraid, Dr Pimple Popper and People Magazine Investigates, as well as factual series such as Outback Opal Hunters, Aussie Gold Hunters, Gold Rush and Deadliest Catch.