HBO Max To Launch In Japan As Hub Within Prime Video & Hulu
Deadline
β’Mon, 31 Aug 2026 19:00:00 +0000
π° What Happened
Warner Bros. Discovery will launch HBO Max in Japan as a hub inside Amazon's Prime Video and Hulu beginning October 1, 2026, the company announced Monday. Japanese subscribers will get access to shows including House of the Dragon, The Pitt, The Last of Us, The White Lotus and the upcoming Harry Potter series. As part of the deal with Hulu Japan β a Nippon Television entity, separate from Disney's Hulu β the companies will explore distributing Japanese local content on HBO Max internationally.
π The Backstory
HBO and HBO Max content was previously available in Japan only through a deal with U-Next. WBD has been expanding Max internationally, in some markets via partnerships rather than a full standalone launch. Japan is a major streaming market where WBD's direct presence has long been limited.
π― Why It Matters
The hub model lets Max reach millions of Prime Video and Hulu customers in Japan without the cost of building its own platform. If successful, it could become a template for WBD's international expansion strategy in other partnership-first markets.
Warner Bros. Discovery will launch HBO Max in Japan as a hub inside Amazon's Prime Video and Hulu beginning October 1, 2026, the company announced Monday. Japanese subscribers will get access to shows including House of the Dragon, The Pitt, The Last of Us, The White Lotus and the upcoming Harry Potter series. As part of the deal with Hulu Japan β a Nippon Television entity, separate from Disney's Hulu β the companies will explore distributing Japanese local content on HBO Max internationally.
HBO and HBO Max content was previously available in Japan only through a deal with U-Next. WBD has been expanding Max internationally, in some markets via partnerships rather than a full standalone launch. Japan is a major streaming market where WBD's direct presence has long been limited.
The hub model lets Max reach millions of Prime Video and Hulu customers in Japan without the cost of building its own platform. If successful, it could become a template for WBD's international expansion strategy in other partnership-first markets.