A new streaming service will launch in New Zealand this year - HBO Max - with Sky TV confirming the end of its deal with the major programme provider.

The HBO Max direct-to-consumer streaming service will be available mid-2026, Warner Bros. Discovery announced on Tuesday.

Details about subscriptions and pricing will be shared down the line, it said in a statement.

Max Originals will join the lineup like The Pitt and And Just Like That…as well as the new Harry Potter series and the DC Universe franchise.  

The platform will be the place to watch Warner Bros. blockbuster films like One Battle After Another and Sinners.

HBO Max launched in Australia in 2025. It dropped in Germany and Italy this year so far, with the UK and Ireland scheduled for next month. NZ is in the next wave.

HBO Max currently lives in a branded environment on Neon and with Sky entertainment subscriptions, but Sky TV confirmed this afternoon it was cutting links with the major programme provider.

Sky chief executive Sophie Maloney said the split followed a review of what subscribers to SkyTV and the Neon streaming service were watching.

"That work has led us to a strong conclusion: this is the right decision for Sky's customers, and for our shareholders."

She said Neon's subscribers numbers were not high enough, but there was no doubt over its future.

"Neon is still a vibrant part of our offering, and I think the content we're going to be able to offer up through the new Paramount deal that we have and with other key studio providers like BBC and Sony is going to help us get to a better place."

Shows such as The White Lotus, Euphoria, Succession and The Pitt will remain accessible on Sky and Neon until mid-June.

Maloney said its research showed that many of its most popular programmes were from other providers, and she said there would be more details on content and business developments at next week's six monthly earnings report.

SkyTV would continue to carry other Warner Discovery channels including Discovery, Discovery Turbo, TLC, ID, Animal Planet and CNN, as well as programmes on the former Discovery owned TV3 stable of channels.

Investment analyst Benjamin Crozier of Forsyth Barr said the end of the content deal and HBO's own planned service were likely to be negative for Sky, but the deal had been expensive because Sky had to take all HBO content rather than selecting itself.

"SKT's new entertainment strategy is to back itself to procure entertainment content based on its NZ viewership data and from a wider variety of studios to keep NZ viewers subscribed."

He said he expected savings from the HBO contract would likely be reinvested in content from other providers, but it would take time before the full impact on Neon became clear.

Main Image: Succession will be available to watch on the new HBO Max streaming service out later this year.Photo credit:HBO