Warner Bros Discovery to debut HBO Max in 14 Asia Pacific markets next month

(Reuters) -Warner Bros Discovery is set to launch its HBO Max streaming service in 14 new markets across the Asia Pacific on October 15, the media firm said on Tuesday.

The move follows July’s expansion to places including Albania, Armenia and Georgia, which took the total number of markets where the service is available to over 90.

The global expansion has strengthened Warner Bros Discovery’s position in the fiercely competitive international streaming market.

The company on Tuesday said it will bring popular entertainment brands including HBO, Harry Potter, the DC Universe and Cartoon Network to new markets including Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Macau, Mongolia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Its streaming unit, which also includes Discovery+, had added 3.4 million subscribers globally in the second quarter.

The company is planning to split its assets into studio- and streaming-focused Warner Bros and cable-centric Discovery Global by mid-2026.

Newly merged Paramount Skydance is preparing a bid for Warner Bros Discovery with backing from Oracle founder Larry Ellison, Reuters reported last week, citing a source familiar with the matter.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by Sahal Muhammed)