A POPULAR streaming app has received a major makeover – paving the way for a US TV giant to finally launch in the UK.
Early next year, HBO Max is finally set to grace our shores and TV screens.
5
5
The service is a big hit over in the United States, ranking as one of the top-viewed TV streaming apps with tens of millions of paying subscribers.
HBO Max is currently slated to enter the UK in early 2026, although there’s no public release date.
The service is home to top-tier telly like The Last of Us, The White Lotus, Succession, True Detective, and The Gilded Age.
And ahead of its launch, Discovery+ has received a major makeover, as spotted by Cordbusters.
Discovery+ is owned and operated by Warner Bros. Discovery, as is HBO Max.
And Discovery+ serves up Warner Bros. Discovery content across entertainment (like the Discovery Channel) and sport (via TNT Sports).
The new Discovery+ has a new image-heavy design and packs in more detail about content.
There’s also a new preview thumbnail for when you’re scrubbing along in shows.
The new update is rolling out to most devices, with a few exceptions.
That includes Virgin Media devices, which don’t offer Discovery+ anyway.
And it also includes older YouView boxes that lost support for the app earlier this month.
EYES TO THE SKY?
Of course, Sky customers may be wondering what happens to their TV services when HBO Max drops.
After all, some of Sky Atlantics biggest hits – like House of the Dragon and The White Lotus – come courtesy of HBO Max.
For a start, Sky TV packages now include Discovery+ as standard.
5
But in early December last year, Sky announced a major tie-up with Warner Bros. Discovery.
And it guarantees that Max will arrive for Sky customers without any extra charges.
“The new agreement will now include the ad-supported version of Max, WBD’s premium streaming service bundled for Sky customers at no extra cost, when it launches in the UK and Ireland in early 2026,” Sky said at the time.
“Sky customers will continue to find shows such as House of the Dragon, The White Lotus, and The Last of Us, and any new series aired before the end of 2025, on Sky Atlantic and through Sky’s On Demand service..”
FIND TELLY FASTER ON SKY
Want to snap straight to a specific type of content?
The microphone button on your Sky TV remote is surprisingly effective.
There are loads of voice commands that you can try out if you’re hunting for something to watch.
Here’s an official list of search commands from Sky…
- Search for specified movie – “[Movie title]”
- Search for specified programme – “[Programme title]”
- Search for content which stars specified actor – “[Actor name]”
- Search for content directed by specified director – “[Director name]”
- Search for movies within specified genre – “[Movie genre]”
- Search for sport content within specified genre. Genres include football, F1, Rugby Union, Cricket, and Rugby League – “[Sport genre]”
- Search specific channel – “[Channel name]”
- Search for movies with a specific star rating – “[x] star movies” “movies rated [x] stars”
- Search for content with specified picture format. Picture format includes SD, HD, and Ultra HD – “[Picture format]”
- Search for sports, teams or competitions – “[Sport Name]”, “[Team Name]”, “[Competition Name]”
Picture Credit: Sky
5
The same is true for Now UK members, who will also get bundled access to the ad-supported version of Max.
HBO’s Max content will appear alongside other content inside the regular Now TV app.
Earlier today, we revealed one of the most tempting Sky TV and broadband bundles that Sky claims is available for its “lowest price”.
And Sky carried out a channel shake-up this week, including the addition of some great child-friendly content.
5
