HBO Max will begin its long-anticipated European deployment this fall in Spain and the Nordic region, with Portugal, along with territories in Central and Eastern Europe, following in 2022.
The update came from Priya Dogra, who serves as president of parent company WarnerMedia's Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) operations, as well as Asian initiatives outside China. Dogra was speaking at the Series Mania television festival in Lille, France, an event covered by The Hollywood Reporter and several other showbiz trades.
“Europe is a huge priority for us,” Dogra said. “We now have the U.S. and Latin America under our belt, we feel very good about those successes there and the growth that we’re seeing. Europe is a complicated market, but it’s an exciting one.”
As it does in the U.S. and Latin America, where it's already deployed, HBO Max will supply Europe with a full range of WarnerMedia programming--HBO and Turner Networks shows, Warner Bros. movies, DC Comics-inspired programs, etc. But according to Dogra, localized programming will be a priority in the region.
“We really want our business here to feel like it is of the market in which we operate,” Dogra said. “So in France that needs to be like a French business and in the U.K. the same way ... “We like stories that contextualize the world and society around them, and so we’re looking forward to not just being part of the local creative communities, but helping them develop as well."
Dogra spoke alongside Christina Sulebakk, who recently replaced Hervé Payan as CEO of HBO Europe. Sulebakk previously served as executive VP, CMO and head of distribution for the company.
