After a long journey, HBO’s streaming platform, Max, has officially crash-landed in Australia. Max first embarked as HBO Max in the US in May 2020, gathering the TV Giant’s catalogue and putting it all together in one online streaming space.
The service made its way around the world, reaching audiences in South America, Canada, the UK, and Europe in 2021, before expanding to Asian audiences with local content integrations in countries like Japan and New Zealand in late 2024. The platform officially rebranded to Max in 2023 for US audiences, with plans for existing services to fully relaunch under the single-name moniker by May 2025.
Max is home to all of HBO and Warner Bros. biggest franchises, including Friends, Harry Potter, DC Comics, and Max originals, like The Last of Us, Euphoria and The White Lotus. Up until recently, all of these great shows and movies were found on Aussie streamers Binge and Foxtel Now, but were subsequently taken away with the Max launch.
However, some may wonder if Max is worth signing up for, especially if you’re in a pinch and can’t afford to pay for multiple streaming services. So if you’re questioning whether you want to subscribe to the Friends reruns hub, we’ve got you sorted.
We’ve put together this complete guide on what Max will cost you in 2025, what’s included in its plans and more. If you’re interested in price comparisons across Australian streaming services, or the best streaming services in Australia, we’ve got you covered too.
So, without further ado, here’s what Max is all about.
How much does Max Australia cost?
Right now until April 30, 2025, Max has a promotional launch offer that sees its subscription plans discounted to the prices below:
- Basic with Ads (monthly) | AU$7.99
- Basic with Ads (yearly) | AU$79.99
- Standard (monthly) | AU$11.99
- Standard (yearly) | AU$119.99
- Premium (monthly) | AU$17.99
- Premium (yearly) | AU$179.99
After this date, Max will offer three monthly subscription plans:
- Basic with Ads | AU$11.99
- Standard | AU$15.99
- Premium | AU$21.99
Max will also offer three annual subscription plans:
- Basic with Ads | AU$119.99
- Standard | AU$159.99
- Premium | AU$219.99
Basic with Ads
The Basic with Ads plan is priced at AU$11.99p/m and AU$119.99 per year, providing users with two simultaneous screens in HD resolution. Of course, as with most streaming plans, this cheap-as-chips offering will have users watching ads during their viewings.
Standard
Max’s Standard offering includes two screens in full HD resolution. The only difference between Basic and Standard here is the lack of ads and the fact that you can download content for offline viewing. The plan allows for up to 30 downloads, which isn’t much in comparison to other streamers with unlimited downloads, but it is a definite upgrade if you want to watch your favourite Max shows on the go.
Premium
The premium plan tacks another two screens on to the Basic and Standard offerings, with four simultaneous screens in full HD or 4K resolution. This is the only subscription that comes with Dolby Atmos sound on select content, and you can download up to 100 shows or films for offline viewing.
How to pick the right plan for your needs
For most streaming services — Max included — plan prices typically revolve around two key factors: number of screens and streaming resolution. Some other factors play into this, like catalogue access and other non-streaming-related benefits, but for the most part, plans are based on the former.
Both Max’s Basic with ads and Standard offerings can stream 1080p HD content on two screens simultaneously. The only difference here is that on the Standard plan, you can download content for offline viewing, capped at 30 downloads. On the Basic plan, you cannot download content.
With its Premium plan, users can stream on up to four different screens at the same time, in up to 4K resolution. In terms of offline content, users on this plan can access up to 100 downloads.
On sound, the Premium plan can access Dolby Atmos audio, while the Basic with ads and Standard plans miss out on the higher quality option.
If you’re in a smaller household with one or two screens (a phone and a laptop would count for single users), then a Standard plan should suffice. It also depends on budget, so if you’re willing to watch an ad or two every half hour, it might be worth saving the extra AU$4p/m and opting for Max’s entry-level ad-supported plan.
If you’re in a larger household with multiple devices or multiple users with different interests, then a premium plan might be the right choice. Users with high-end televisions may also want to opt for the resolution and sound quality boost alone.
Are there ways to save on subscription costs?
At the time of writing, there’s only one way to save on a Max subscription — and that’s by having an existing Foxtel account. Through a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery, Foxtel subscribers are entitled to a free Max Basic with Ads subscription that can be accessed through the Foxtel UI. This does come at an exorbitant cost, though, as prices start at AU$73p/m for the Foxtel Plus starter channel package.
It’s important to point out that Foxtel Now subscribers can’t access Max for free, and all Max and HBO content has been removed from the platform. Recent releases like The White Lotus, however, will continue their run on Foxtel Now.
But if you’re keen to save big on Max without a Foxtel subscription, we’d recommend signing up for the current introductory offer, which will see your monthly or annual fees discounted for the first year of your subscription. For all plans, you’ll save AU$48 on your monthly sub, whereas annual subs will see a saving of AU$40. If you’re keen to invest in Max, there’s no better time to save than between right now and when the offer ends on April 30, 2025.
You can cancel your Max subscription at any time, and you can access Max until your subscription expires at the end of your current monthly billing period.
How does Max pricing compare to other services?
Much to this writer’s surprise, Max’s plans are well within range for most streaming services, but its Basic with Ads offering is on the higher end of the spectrum. Compared to Netflix’s ad-supported plan, Max’s subscription is AU$4 more, reaching AU$11.99p/m. The average for the tier is currently AU$9.79p/m and AU$117.53p/y.
As for its Standard plan, Max’s offering is in the dead middle of the tier at AU$15.99p/m, but still costs more than the average of AU$14.55p/m. Its Premium tier is the closest to the average, costing AU$21.99p/m compared to the median of AU$19.99p/m.
How does Max’s content catalogue compare?
Previously in its name, Max is well known for being the global streaming home for HBO, the US TV giant, and the television series and films that come with it. In recent years, Max has produced an array of smash hit productions under the Max Originals umbrella. Max’s content has been accessible via Aussie streamers, Binge and Foxtel Now, for quite some time, but it has been stripped from both platforms, with Max now being the exclusive Aussie HBO hub.
Max is home to the very best and biggest HBO franchises and Warner Bros. Discovery brands, including Harry Potter, DC Comics, Sex And The City, Friends and more. As of its launch date, Max has also debuted with films like 2001: A Space Odyssey, Bullitt, Casablanca, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory and The Wizard Of Oz.
Max also premieres with recent 2024 films, including Max original The Parenting, Twisters, Trap, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, and Joker: Folie à Deux. In terms of television shows, Max is home to popular originals like Euphoria, The Last of Us, Sex Lives of College Girls, And Just Like That, and Rescue: Hi Surf.
Throughout April, Max will drop existing franchises like Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Dune, Batman and other DC films, and television series like 90 Day Fiancé, Aussie Gold Hunters, and Ghost Adventures.
Max’s new releases in April include the highly anticipated second season of The Last Of Us, premiering on April 14, the second season of The Rehearsal, and Fast Friends, a game show dedicated to the beloved series Friends.
If you’re worried about missing the final episodes of your favourite HBO show that just premiered — i.e. The Pitt or The White Lotus season three — you’ll find them on Max, with all episodes releasing concurrently on the platform, alongside previous seasons.
Has the Australian Max price increased over time?
For right now, Max’s subscription price is the same. However, based on our experience in the past 12 months, we could reasonably expect a price uptick in the next year or so for the new streamer, considering all streaming services in Australia underwent an increase in 2024 and early 2025.
Is a Max subscription worth it?
If you’ve gotten this far, you’re probably still wondering if a Max subscription is right for you, so let’s break it down.
Max is a new streamer in the market, and is home to the best HBO shows and franchises. Stripping streamers Binge and Foxtel Now of their respective HBO catalogues now, new seasons of shows like The White Lotus, Euphoria and The Last of Us will be exclusive to Max. So, if tuning into these major shows appeals to you, it may act as a major drawcard to the platform.
Even if you aren’t overly interested in Max’s new releases, the streamer is now the exclusive home of big brands like Friends, Harry Potter and DC, with films and TV shows stripped from similar platforms, and so, perhaps your comfort rewatches could be a driver to subscribe.
Either way, it’s up to you to decide if a subscription to Max is worth your hard-earned cash.
