HBO Max will be available in two more regions on Channel+ as the French powerhouse enters into a new multi-territory multi-territory agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery (VBD).
The agreement extends HBO Max's run in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania on Canal+, but will also allow the streamer to be distributed through Canal+ in Belgium and Austria.
HBO Max has entered major European markets over the past year or so and will soon air in the UK, where it previously failed to launch due to WBD's long-standing deal with Sky.
Canal+ and WBD said today's partnership marks “an important milestone in the development of their cooperation on an international scale.”
Overall, the agreement covers the distribution of HBO Max, the renewal of several WBD channels and the extension of the exclusive pay TV window for Warner Bros. films that appear on Canal+ six months after their theatrical release in France.
Some 12 WBD channels have been extended across Africa with the help of MultiChoice Group, the company behind Canal+ purchased earlier this year. CNN International and Cartoon Network will air exclusively in South Africa and non-exclusively in other territories. A number of other chains have also been revamped in African markets.
Canal+ also has distribution agreements with Netflix and could become a major player if Netflix acquires WBD, which would give Netflix control of two of the world's biggest streamers.
