The Winter Olympics will be streamed across Europe with HBO Max coming to the UK, Germany, Italy, and other countries next year, but the status of the streaming service’s future remains unclear with Netflix acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery.
Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) has confirmed its streaming service HBO Max will be launching in the UK in March 2026, alongside other European countries.
From January 13, 2026, UK customers, as well as those from Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Liechtenstein will be given access to subscribe to HBO Max which will be the home of the 2026 Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina.
HBO Max also carries TNT Sports which will allow UK viewers to watch Premier League football, as well as Gallagher Prem rugby, cricket, grand slam tennis and the UFC.
TNT Sports will become available to UK audiences after Sky’s licensing deal for HBO productions expires at the end of 2025. WBD’s line of film and television properties will also become available to stream.
In Germany and Italy, viewers will gain access to Eurosport on-demand. German viewers can watch the Bundesliga, while Italian customers can expect to stream cycling, grand slam tennis and the UFC.
“We are thrilled to bring HBO Max and the stories that stick with you to new countries across Europe this January,” said JB Perrette, CEO and President of Global Streaming and Games at Warner Bros. Discovery.
“With our strongest line-up of US and local HBO series yet, blockbuster local and international movies, and the Olympic Winter Games, it is the perfect time to make HBO Max available directly to subscribers. It has never been easier to enjoy the most talked-about series, hit movies, unmissable live sports, and extraordinary real-life stories.”
Focus on increasing Winter Olympic viewership
The 2026 Winter Olympics, held between February 6-22, will be broadcast across Italy on HBO Max; WBD hopes that bringing the streaming service to where the games are being held will enhance viewership.
WBD secured broadcasting rights from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 2015, which will cover future events such as the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games.
In a move to further bolster viewership for the upcoming Winter Olympics, WBD announced in October it would allow all European customers to watch every live event on HBO Max and Discovery+.
WBD also unveiled its dedicated broadcast studio sitting next to the Dolomites mountains. Eurosport’s coverage of the event will include dedicated sets for coverage in Italy, Germany, Norway and Poland to deliver local language broadcasts.
The broadcasts will also provide insight from a range of former Winter Olympians, such as 19-time World alpine skiing champion Viktoria Rebensburg, British-Russian ice skater Tiffany Zahorski, and French alpine skier and world champion Johan Clarey.
WBD revealed WBD Sports Europe reached more than 109 million winter sports fans across all of its platforms in 2024, a 10% increase from the previous year.
Viewership on winter sports via video grew by 16% to 31 million and streaming minutes also grew by 16%. WBD credits this to a strong female audience compared to its channel average, with alpine skiing proving to be the most popular sport overall, while snowboarding has attracted the largest audience amongst 0-24-year olds.
How will Netflix affect Warner Bros. sports?
Confirmed by Netflix today (December 5), the global streaming service has acquired WBD’s film, TV and streaming studios’ for a total enterprise value at $82.7bn. Cash and stock transaction is valued at $27.75 per WBD share and the transaction is expected to close after WBD’s Streaming & Studios and Global Networks divisions in Q3′ 2026.
The transaction was unanimously approved by the Boards of Directors of both Netflix and WBD and is subject to required regulatory approvals, approval of WBD shareholders and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to be finalised in 12-18 months time.
“This acquisition will improve our offering and accelerate our business for decades to come,” SAID Greg Peters, co-CEO of Netflix. “Warner Bros. has helped define entertainment for more than a century and continues to do so with phenomenal creative executives and production capabilities.
“With our global reach and proven business model, we can introduce a broader audience to the worlds they create—giving our members more options, attracting more fans to our best-in-class streaming service, strengthening the entire entertainment industry and creating more value for shareholders.”
The newly separated publicly traded company holding the Global Networks division, Discovery Global, will include sports and news television including CNN, TNT Sports in the US, and Discovery, free-to-air channels across Europe, and digital products such as Discovery+ and Bleacher Report.
While Hollywood executives have feared the Netflix acquisition over the ramifications this could mean for theatrical releases, the buyout may also impact how US customers watch sports in the US, including if Netflix carries HBO Max and Eurosport over onto its streaming platform as additional options for relevant audiences.
Netflix has already made an imprint in the live sports broadcast industry, broadcasting live NFL games on Christmas Day, as well as boxing exhibition fights such as Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson and regularly runs WWE’s RAW every Monday night as part of a 10-year agreement.
“Today’s announcement combines two of the greatest storytelling companies in the world to bring to even more people the entertainment they love to watch the most,” said David Zaslav, President and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery.
“For more than a century, Warner Bros. has thrilled audiences, captured the world’s attention, and shaped our culture. By coming together with Netflix, we will ensure people everywhere will continue to enjoy the world’s most resonant stories for generations to come.”
