HBO Max launches in Switzerland: the five biggest questions – and answers

Luca Fontana

4.12.2025

Translation: Patrik Stainbrook

The launch of HBO Max in Switzerland is a bombshell. Warner is bringing its entire premium catalogue directly to the country for the first time – forcing Sky Show and the entire streaming market into a new order.

13 January 2026 will be a historic date for the Swiss streaming market. On that day, HBO Max officially launches in Switzerland – on top of Germany, Austria, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein (page in German). This was all announced by Warner Bros. Discovery in a press release. The parent company mentions the «strongest line-up ever». No wonder: HBO Max is dropping big, loud and with plenty of gifts in its goodie bag.

So what does this mean for Switzerland? For Sky Show? For all those people who’ve had to look for The Last of Us on different platforms until now? And how does this launch change the balance of power in the market?

Here are the five biggest questions – and answers.

1. What exactly is coming – and why now?

Warner Bros. Discovery is bringing HBO Max to the entire German-language region, closing one of the last major gaps in Europe. Until now, Switzerland was a special case: HBO content was exclusively available via Sky Show, while fans repeatedly speculated whether Warner would ever operate the service locally itself.

The company has now officially confirmed that Switzerland will be part of the next wave of expansion – with the same technical features, the same app and the same rights as in neighbouring countries.

For Swiss users, this means that HBO is coming to Switzerland without any asterisks for the first time. No more missing seasons, no more mixed up licence windows. One central app, one clear hub. And all that alongside the entire Warner Bros. catalogue.

2. What does HBO Max offer at launch?

Warner Bros. Discovery has promised a unique, comprehensive premium offer. In fact, the list reads like an all-round knockout blow.

Major Warner films such as Superman, The Batman, the Harry Potter series and Dune will go live at launch. In addition, there are new originals and HBO shows such as The Pitt, The Seduction, Industry, All Her Fault, the upcoming Harry Potter series and Game of Thrones prequel A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, which will follow shortly after launch on 18 January.

A broad catalogue – from Friends and The Big Bang Theory to Rick and Morty – is also moving under the HBO Max umbrella. Warner is also expanding its own productions for the German-speaking region, such as 4 Blocks Zero, heist series Banksters, a Struwwelpeter thriller series by Friese/Odar and a major documentary series about the Big Maple Leaf theft.

HBO Max will also integrate sports – including the 2026 Winter Olympics. Other sports on offer mainly include cycling and tennis.

3. How much does HBO Max cost in Switzerland?

Here too, Warner is toeing the European line, but adapting its prices to the Swiss market. There will be three monthly models for Switzerland, all cancellable:

There’s also an optional sports package (CHF 7.00 per month). Warner emphasises that Switzerland will receive the same technical features as major markets: 4K HDR, Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, personalised profiles, offline downloads and broad device compatibility.

This positions HBO Max between Disney+ and Netflix in terms of price – but with the promise of offering the entire Warner catalogue without delays.

4. What does the launch mean for Sky Show?

Perhaps the most sensitive question, and the one that many Sky customers have been waiting months for.

Sky Show was previously the home of HBO in Europe. But with the launch of HBO Max, this reality is set to change. Sky confirms to us that certain HBO content will no longer be available from 1 January 2026. The exclusive rights will partially return to Warner.

At the same time, Sky surprises with an important addition: many of the most popular HBO shows will remain available on Sky Show. This includes current seasons of House of the Dragon, The Last of Us, The White Lotus and Euphoria – even if new seasons start running in parallel on HBO Max in future. Sky emphasises that these titles will remain part of the Sky show catalogue in the long term.

This is remarkable and shows that their partnership with Warner isn’t simply being scrapped, but reorganised. Sky also mentions its broad network of studio partners such as NBCUniversal, Sony and Disney as well as in-house creations and co-productions such as Tschugger and The Day of the Jackal, which will remain important pillars of the brand.

And here’s where things get exciting: back in May 2025, Sky CEO Eric Grignon spoke to us about precisely this possible change – still hypothetical at the time. He said that Sky would have to adapt if HBO had its own plans for Switzerland one day, and that they were actively working on solutions. Now that just this situation has arisen, we can confirm much of what he said.

But Grignon isn’t stopping there: next week, he’ll explain to us in detail how Sky and HBO will work together in the future – and what this means for Sky Show. We’ll be presenting his revelations in detail here.

5. How is the European streaming market changing?

At first glance, you might think: «Why all the fuss? You could already watch HBO shows via Sky in Switzerland.» The short answer: it’s not just about shows, but about the role that HBO plays in the global streaming market.

HBO Max isn’t just another service. HBO is one of the most prestigious TV brands of the last 30 years. It grew in the classic cable business, reinvented itself time and again with revolutionary shows, then chaotically pushed into streaming. Now, it’s right in the middle of a market where nobody really knows what’s going to happen.

Parent company Warner Bros. isn’t entirely innocent of this. Discovery itself is a studio that bundles many products relevant for cinema and television. From Dune and the DC universe to originals such as The Wire, The Sopranos and Succession. The fact that this entire catalogue is now landing directly in the German-language region for the first time – without any licensing detours – is a huge step. One that can’t simply be talked down with «Sky did it first».

At the same time, it’s clear that HBO won’t be content to share the market with Sky in the long term. The fact that Sky can continue to offer some of its popular shows is likely a compromise for this transition phase. In the long term, however, Warner will probably want to streamline its brand globally. And Sky has to reposition itself: less «the home of HBO» and more as a broad aggregation offering NBCUniversal, Sony, in-house productions and more.

But here’s where things gets confusing: Warner Bros. is facing an uncertain future. Behind the scenes, there’s a lot of turmoil, and the question of who will own the studio and thus HBO in the end is completely open. Just a few months ago, film studio Paramount Pictures was considered the favourite for a takeover. However, there’s currently talk from several industry circles that Netflix is suddenly far more interested in the Warner catalogue than previously assumed.

What does this mean for HBO Max? Nobody seems to know for sure. But it creates a paradox: why is Warner expanding so aggressively into Europe when they may belong to a completely new owner in a few months? Because: the HBO brand has name value. It has legs. And while Warner is reeling, it also wants to pretend that all things are business as usual. This moment feels major, but also strangely shaky.

And that’s precisely why this launch is so relevant: it’s happening despite chaos, despite unclear ownership and despite possible deal negotiations. Maybe that’s exactly why. International expansion is proceeding as if there were no bigger questions. It’s a bit like reading the chronicles of an extraordinarily organised mess. Only with budgets in the billions and prestigious premium titles.

We talked about this topic in detail in our Swiss German A Tech Affair podcast.

Luca Fontana

Senior Editor

Luca.Fontana@digitecgalaxus.ch

I write about technology as if it were cinema, and about films as if they were real life. Between bits and blockbusters, I’m after stories that move people, not just generate clicks. And yes – sometimes I listen to film scores louder than I probably should.

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