In brief, if you're in a hurry:
- HBO Max launched in Italy on Jan. 13, 2026
- Prime Video subscribers can add HBO Max as an extra channel
- Plans start at €5.99 a month, with multiple tiers and an optional sports package
- The catalog includes landmark HBO series (The Sopranos, The Wire, Succession), new releases like The Pitt and A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, and recent films
- Warner Bros. Discovery is investing heavily in Italian original productions, including Portobello by Marco Bellocchio
- You’d better come prepared: choose Lyca Mobile’s full-speed 5G.
On Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, HBO Max officially launched in Italy. The move had been anticipated for months, but its arrival still marks a significant moment: one of the most influential brands in modern television is now entering the Italian market directly, with an expansive catalog and a distribution strategy that reflects how streaming is continuing to evolve.
HBO Max’s debut is not simply the addition of yet another app to an already crowded field. It represents the arrival (without intermediaries) of a very specific idea of television, one that helped define what is often called the Golden Age of TV. That idea has long emphasized writing, authorial vision and cultural relevance, and HBO Max is bringing it to Italy through a deliberately flexible model of distribution.
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The partnership between HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video
In Italy, HBO Max is available as an add-on subscription through Amazon Prime Video, mirroring a model already adopted in several other European countries, including Germany and Austria. For users, the appeal is straightforward: access to HBO Max’s catalog without downloading a separate app, all within an interface they already use.
This approach underscores a broader strategy. Rather than tying itself to a single exclusive platform, HBO Max is prioritizing reach, relying on strong partners to embed itself quickly into viewers’ daily habits.
How much HBO Max costs
HBO Max is offered through three monthly plans:
- Basic with ads: €5.99 per month, Full HD streaming on two devices
- Standard: €11.99 per month, Full HD on two devices, up to 30 downloads
- Premium: €16.99 per month, 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos, four devices and up to 100 downloads
A sports add-on (€3 per month) can be added to any plan, granting access to major events such as the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, the Australian Open and the French Open.
HBO Max catalog is built on legacy and ambition
At launch, HBO Max does not yet include the entirety of HBO’s historic catalog. Seminal series such as Six Feet Under, Deadwood and Boardwalk Empire are expected to arrive in the coming months. Still, what is already available makes the platform’s identity clear.
There are recent global hits (The Last of Us, The White Lotus, House of the Dragon, Euphoria), iconic series that shaped an era (Friends, The Big Bang Theory, Sex and the City, Game of Thrones), and a curated selection of titles that illustrate what HBO has long stood for.
The Sopranos remains the cornerstone: a series that permanently changed television storytelling by deconstructing the gangster myth through Tony Soprano’s psychotherapy sessions. The Wire did something similar for the police procedural, portraying Baltimore as a fragile, interconnected system in which institutions often appear as compromised as the criminals they pursue.
Succession may be the show that best captured the current moment: a family tragedy disguised as a satire of capitalism and media power, embraced especially by journalists and those who observe power for a living. At the opposite end of the tonal spectrum is Curb Your Enthusiasm, the meta-sitcom in which Larry David redefined television comedy over the past two decades.
Among newer titles, The Pitt stands out. The medical drama deliberately echoes ER, reviving episodic storytelling and weekly pacing at a time when streaming tends toward serialized binge releases. The first episode of its second season is already available and, notably, it is one of HBO Max’s few clear exclusives in Italy.
Films, animation and new bets
On the film side, HBO Max launches with One Battle After Another, Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest movie starring Leonardo DiCaprio and widely seen as a leading Oscar contender. Also available are Weapons, a formally ambitious horror film told through shifting perspectives, and highly anticipated releases like Superman and The Conjuring: The Final Rite.
Animation is represented by Adventure Time, widely regarded as one of the most influential animated series of the 21st century. The platform also features newer, more experimental productions such as Industry, a finance thriller set in London; The Chair Company, a surreal workplace comedy; and I Love LA, an ironic portrait of Gen Z existentialism.
Italian original productions
One of the most consequential aspects of HBO Max’s Italian launch is its commitment to local storytelling. The platform will produce and distribute several Italian originals, including Portobello, directed by Marco Bellocchio and centered on the Enzo Tortora case, as well as a series about the 2011 murder of Melania Rea. Documentary projects include Gina Lollobrigida: Diva Contesa and Saman, both focused on stories that have deeply shaped Italy’s public discourse.
The message is clear: HBO Max does not intend to be merely an importer of prestige television, but a producer of local stories told with the same author-driven approach that made the brand famous.
What happens next
In the short term, HBO Max will coexist (somewhat awkwardly) with Sky and Now TV. Some returning series will continue to appear on both platforms, while new titles such as A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, premiering Jan. 18, will be exclusive to HBO Max. Over time, however, many of HBO’s former distribution homes are likely to lose relevance.
In a market with nearly 20 million streaming subscribers, HBO Max is unlikely to upend everything overnight. But it does shift the balance. Its bet is not on quantity, but on a recognizable idea of quality, and in an increasingly saturated streaming landscape, that distinction may matter more than ever.
For Italian audiences, HBO Max is not entirely new. It is, rather, a long-awaited direct return to a kind of television that once taught the rest of the industry how great series are made.