Warner Bros. Discovery will make Max, its enhanced streaming service, its first appearance in the Asia-Pacific region starting next week in partnership with Japan’s U-Next.
As in Europe and other territories where it has already launched, Max represents both a broader content offering for Japanese viewers than predecessor HBO and a technological upgrade. However, the Max app, which will offer even more functionality, has not yet been launched on the Japanese market.
From next Wednesday, Max will be available on U-Next as a branded environment, with its own user interface, within the Japanese streaming platform. It offers more than 16,000 episodes from more than 2,500 titles from WBD’s entertainment brands, including HBO, Harry Potter, the DC Universe, Warner Bros., Cartoon Network, Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.
The deal between the two groups also includes WBD acquiring Japanese content in partnership with U-Next for global distribution on Max.
Described as a new partnership, the business relationship expands on a distribution deal U-Next signed with Warner Media (now WBD) in March 2021 and was renewed in 2023.
“Japan is one of the leading streaming territories in the region, and as the fastest growing domestic OTT platform, U-Next is a very local player that understands the market deeply. Max on U-Next is an evolution of our partnership, helping us reach Japanese consumers faster and more effectively, and create opportunities for homegrown storytelling that can be shared with a global audience,” said James Gibbons , WBD President of APAC. “We look forward to rolling out Max across Asia Pacific through a number of different, locally relevant strategies.”
“We are thrilled to have entered into an exclusive partnership agreement with Warner Bros. Discovery to launch Max exclusively on U-Next,” said Tsutsumi Tenshin, CEO of U-Next. “We also see this as a great opportunity to extend the reach of some of the best Japanese IPs to millions of subscribers worldwide through the Max platform.”
Programming available on Max on U-Next includes scripted series from HBO and Max Originals premiering simultaneously as they debut in the U.S., including new episodes of “The Penguin,” “Dune: Prophecy” and new seasons of “The Last’. of us,” “House of the Dragon” and “The White Lotus.”
Harry Potter is extremely popular in Japan. And all films from the Harry Potter franchise will be available for unlimited streaming in Japan in 4K/HDR quality. Other 4K/HDR content to follow.
Hollywood and Max Original films premiere exclusively, including ‘Salem’s Lot’ and ‘Juror No. 2’. Popular programs from Warner Bros. Television including ‘The Big Bang Theory’ and ‘Friends’ will also be available, along with an extensive range of premium factual entertainment and children’s programming, such as ‘Deadliest Catch’, ‘Gold Rush’ and ‘Tom and Jerry.’
Both Gibbons and U-NEXT COO Honda Toshi are speakers at next week’s APOS conference in Indonesia.