Australian and international media were in town tonight to celebrate the arrival of Warner Bros. Discovery’s streaming service ‘Max’ on local shores.
The launch of Max comes after years of an exclusive deal with Foxtel that kept HBO content locked down to local streaming service Binge. Tonight was a marked step for WBD, expanding their direct-to-consumer presence in Australia. As we previously reported, the move came with a notable increase in local staffing extending WBD’s reach and capabilities.
The celebratory event to launch Max was held at Sydney’s State Theatre tonight, on the 2nd of April 2025. The event was a duel-festivity, as it also played host to the Australian premiere of The Last of Us Season 2.
Cast members from HBO Original series The Last of Us and The White Lotus walked the red carpet to celebrate the launch of the streaming service. Both shows are available to stream on Max now, with the second season of The Last of Us arriving on April 13.
The event was packed, with over a thousand guests invited from the Australia media industry, as well as guests from the US, Asia and abroad. International guests weren’t limited to just actors from HBO originals. They also included Warner Bros. Discovery executives.
Those in attendance were JB Perrette (CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games for WBD), James Gibbons (President of Asia Pacific for WBD) and Michael Brooks (General Manager of ANZ for WBD.
Perrette adressed the audience in a speech before the screening. He thanked longtime partners Foxtel for their support of HBO over the years, and new partner Nine Entertainment for their marketing prowess in the launch of Max. He gave a shoutout to David Zaslav (CEO of WBD), as well as his fellow executives in attendance for their stewardship of the local rollout. Finally, he thanked the fans and the Australian WBD team for their stellar efforts in a seamless launch of Max this prior Monday 31 March.
You can view Perrette comments in full in the video interview before the screening available to watch on our YouTube.
Max is available for subscription in Australia at www.max.com. Read our breakdown of the best shows shows available on Max starting today in Australia.
