HBO Max has officially launched in the US, and with it comes a huge lineup of great shows and popular films including DC superhero movies like Justice League: The Snyder Cut, Hayao Miyazaki’s Studio Ghibli movies, Friends, Game of Thrones, and a ton of other content from HBO and WarnerMedia.
But can you stream HBO Max in the UK? And if so, how? In this guide from Flixed, we’ll discuss everything you need to know.
HBO Max Is Not Available In The UK
Unlike some other streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime, HBO Max does not currently have any kind of international presence. It’s not available in the UK, Canada, or anywhere else in the world besides the US and US territories.
So, are you out of luck if you want to watch HBO Max in the UK? Not quite. There’s a workaround you can use to get access to the HBO Max streaming library if you’re in the UK.
Whether you’re an American subscriber who is traveling, or you’re a UK resident looking to sign up for this service, read on to learn more about how to watch unblock HBO Max in the UK with a VPN.
You Can Stream HBO Max In The UK Using A VPN
VPN is short for “Virtual Private Network.” With a VPN like ExpressVPN, you can change your IP address and make it look like it’s coming from another country. The way it works is simple.
Using the VPN software, your computer opens up a secured, encrypted connection to another computer or “server” located in your desired location – in this case, the United States. Once the connection has been made, all of your web traffic is sent through this server, making it appear like you’re actually located in the US.
This is how you can unblock HBO Max in the UK. By using a VPN, you can make it look like you’re connecting to the service from the United States, even if you’re located in the United Kingdom.
Then, you can sign up for an HBO Max account as long as you have a U.S. based payment card. If you don’t have a U.S. based payment card, you can use a workaround to sign up through the App Store or Google Play Store using PayPal. Check out this article from TechAdvisor for more details about this workaround, and see how you can stream HBO Max in the UK.
ExpressVPN Is The Best Choice For Watching HBO Max In The UK
If you’re planning on signing up for HBO Max and you’re wondering what VPN you should use to unblock HBO Max in the UK, we highly recommend ExpressVPN.
It’s a great option for any cord-cutter looking to unblock HBO Max in the UK, and it can be used to unlock a wide variety of streaming services like Hulu and American Netflix.
Why should you choose ExpressVPN? Here are a few reasons.
Money-back guarantee
You can try ExpressVPN risk-free for 30 days. You will have to pay for a full month’s subscription up-front, but if you don’t like the service or it doesn’t work for you, you can contact customer support at any time to get a refund within 30 days.
Huge number of VPN servers
ExpressVPN has more than 3,000 servers in 94 countries around the world, including the US. This ensures you always get good bandwidth and reliable streaming quality when watching HBO Max in the UK.
Dedicated support staff
ExpressVPN has 24/7 support, so you can always reach out with questions about your subscription, or get help if you’re confused about a feature of the service.
Supports the use of multiple devices
You can use up to 5 devices at once with ExpressVPN, which makes it a great option if you and your household often stream on multiple devices.
How To Watch HBO Max In The UK With ExpressVPN
1. Sign up for ExpressVPN
First, just visit the ExpressVPN website and sign up for your preferred subscription package. You can get a 1-month subscription, or save some money by picking a 6-month or 12-month plan.
2. Download and install ExpressVPN
Next, you will need to download the ExpressVPN application. If you’re on macOS, Windows, or Linux, you can download it from the ExpressVPN website, then run the downloaded application to install the ExpressVPN client.
iOS users can download it from the App Store, and Android users can download it from the Google Play Store. Once you’ve installed ExpressVPN, launch the app.
3. Sign In And Connect To A US Server
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to sign in with your ExpressVPN credentials. Then, you’ll need to click the “CHOOSE LOCATION” button as seen above to connect to a US server located in a city like Los Angeles, San Francisco, or Chicago. There are more than 20 US servers available.
4. Enjoy Watching HBO Max In The UK
Once you see the “VPN is ON” message, you’re successfully connected to a US VPN server, and you can now access the HBO Max website and watch HBO Max in the UK.
Is It Legal To Watch HBO Max In The UK?
There is no law against using a VPN like ExpressVPN to watch a streaming service like HBO Max outside of its standard service area, so you don’t have to worry about any kind of legal action.
However, watching HBO Max in the UK is technically a violation of its terms of service (ToS), so WarnerMedia is within its rights to cancel your account if it realizes that you are streaming outside of the United States.
You can feel free to follow this guide to watch HBO Max in the UK, but you must do so at your own risk. Your account could be canceled at any time, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Will HBO Max Ever Come To The UK?
It seems unlikely that HBO Max will come to the UK in the near future. This is because US-based companies like WarnerMedia often sign international distribution deals with other companies abroad – so these legal agreements block HBO Max from offering its content in other countries.
In the UK, for example, HBO has an agreement with Sky, which was extended by another 5 years in late 2019. This means that, if HBO Max did launch in the UK, it would not be able to carry its core HBO programming until at least 2024.
So, for the near future at least, it seems unlikely that you will be able to watch HBO Max in the UK without a VPN. However, using ExpressVPN, you can still subscribe and watch HBO Max, so that’s always an option if you can’t live without HBO and WarnerMedia content.
Eric Liston is a content writer based in Columbus, Ohio. Since 2015, he’s been writing about technology, cord-cutting, and helping everyday people save money. He also has expertise writing about medicine, dentistry, insurance, and a variety of other industries. No matter what he’s writing, his focus is always on simplifying complex concepts and making them approachable for everyone. When he’s not slamming away on his keyboard at his home office, you’ll find Eric reading sci-fi novels, improving his disc golf game (he just hit his first 400-foot drive) and playing video games on his gaming PC.
