HBO Max Reaches 1.5 Million UK Subscribers in First Week

HBO Max has had an impressive start in the UK market, with 1.5 million subscribers signing up within the first five days of its launch on March 26. This information comes from research by Ampere Analysis, which estimates sign-ups and activations based on their SVOD Economics dataset.

This strong beginning puts HBO Max on track to reach six million activated subscribers in the UK by the end of 2026, positioning it as the fourth-largest streaming service in the country. A significant factor in this growth is the appeal of TNT Sports content on HBO Max, including major football events in early April.

In the past, Sky held exclusive rights to HBO content and parts of Warner’s movie catalog in the UK and Ireland. While this exclusivity has ended, Sky remains an important partner for HBO Max. In fact, 77% of HBO Max activations come from existing Sky or Now households, underscoring the value of Sky’s customer base in the initial success of HBO Max.

Sky’s strategy of longer-term contracts, typically around 24 months, is meant to minimize subscriber turnover for partner services. This is crucial in an environment where about half of UK streaming subscribers who signed up in Q1 2025 had canceled their subscriptions within a year.

Research shows that 12% of HBO Max subscribers had canceled at least one service in March 2026 before joining HBO Max. However, the majority of switches came from competing streaming services rather than Sky or Now, with Disney+ (36%) and Prime Video (17%) being the most common.

According to Mayssa Jamil, Senior Analyst at Ampere Analysis, HBO Max’s early success is characterized by users adding it to their existing mix of streaming services rather than replacing others. This indicates incremental growth rather than substitution. Additionally, Sky’s bundling approach is key in maintaining its role as a significant distribution partner and offers a model for pay TV operators to retain customers in a time of changing viewing habits.

Recently, HBO Max secured a distribution deal with RTL+, a major German streaming platform, showing its continued expansion and strategic partnerships in the global streaming market.