How to watch HBO Max in Australia

Unless you live in the USA, there’s no straightforward way to watch content available on streaming services like Hulu and HBO Max, which is definitely true of Australia. While there’s currently no HBO Max Australia, there are ways to watch bits of the respective streaming service’s libraries via Australian streaming services.

For instance, Hulu content in Australia can be found licensed across a mixture of Foxtel, Stan, and Netflix, and now Disney Plus Star, while HBO content has long called Foxtel and Binge home. Outside of this, individual movies, TV shows and documentaries can be rented or leased on Apple’s iTunes or the Google Play Store.

Still, whether splitting streaming services or individually purchasing content, the costs can stack up. The good news is there’s a more straightforward (albeit greyer) way to watch HBO Max content in Australia.

HBO Max blends the full suite of HBO original programming, like Game of Thrones and The Sopranos, with WarnerMedia content, which includes original programming (called “Max Originals”) with big-ticket TV shows and movies like Friends, South Park, The Big Bang Theory, and the Studio Ghibli collection.

You’ll need a few things to watch Hulu and HBO Max in Australia.

1. Use either a VPN or smart DNS service to make it look like you’re in the US
2. Pay for the services without a US credit card
3. Figure out which device you will stream with (NOTE: The HBO Max app is not available in Australia)

Not every VPN will allow you to access HBO Max from Australia but in our tests, big-name services like NordVPN and ExpressVPN tend to do the trick. Below is a list of VPNs we've used to access HBO Max.

There are two options when it comes to accessing region-locked content in Australia: a VPN or a smart DNS service. As far as entertainment is concerned, both digital services have the potential to achieve the same goal of unlocking region-locked content.  I’ve researched several, but Express VPN and Getflix are the best VPN and smart DNS service, respectively.

It might also be best to consider alternating between both as each has their uses; plus, if one goes down, the other is there as a backup.

Smart DNS services tend to be cheaper than VPNs, but generally aren't as versatile: a smart DNS doesn’t encrypt data, nor does it change your IP address (the unique ID for your internet connection). While VPNs are more secure, they’re also slower than smart DNS services, which isn't great when you're primarily streaming video (particularly on slower or shared internet connections).

A reliable smart DNS or VPN service can also be used to access different Netflix and Amazon Prime Video libraries (which are region locked), or other non-Australian services like Showtime, BBC, and Hotstar.

Foxtel and Binge are the primary distributors for HBO Max content in Australia. If you had to pick between the two, it's Binge with a bullet.

Over on Binge you'll find a fair serving of HBO Max Originals. Raised by Wolves, The Flight Attendant and Doom Patrol are three examples of popular HBO Max TV shows you can find there, and it was the premiere streaming destination for Zack Snyder's Justice League when it first released. It's true that some of Binge's best TV shows come courtesy of HBO Max but it doesn't have everything.

Binge has a 2-week free trial (Offer ends 2 Oct 2023) and plans start at $10 per month.

HBO Max charges a flat US$14.99 monthly fee. That’s the same price as HBO Now which, if you’re still using, you may be eligible for a free upgrade to HBO Max. If you plan on subscribing using gift cards, it makes more sense then to buy the US$30 or $US60 to equally measure out your months – two and four, respectively – so you don’t have to do the maths on leftover gift card credit.

With your VPN and/or smart DNS sorted, the next step is actually paying for HBO Max. As is typical with streaming services, your first 30 days are free but you'll still need a payment method to get started.

If you’re lucky, a fudged US address during sign-up (when in doubt, use 90210 for Beverly Hills) will combo nicely with your credit card for payment purposes. Not all cards will be accepted, though, and it can be costly to go down the path of purchasing a dedicated virtual credit card just to pay foHBO Max, so it’s less convenient but relatively straightforward to opt for plan B.

Plan B is to buy HBO gift cards from a reputable online outlet, like MyGiftCardSupply. Unless you find an outlet that offers Australian dollars as payment, you’ll be spending American dollars. Hulu gift cards come in either US$25 or US$50 options, while HBO gift cards can be bought for US$25, US$30, US$60, and US$100.

Strangely, at the launch of HBO Max, there’s no clear guidance on how to renew a gift card. The backdoor way (as recommended by HBO Max support) to do it is to enter the gift card code at www.hbonow.com/gift, then follow the login prompts to associate the amount with your account.

Now that you have signed up and paid for everything, the final decision is how are you going to access these services?

VPNs and smart DNS services will give you details to change in your internet settings; either your IP address or your DNS addresses.

You can adjust these settings on your router/modem-router, but bear in mind, if you change these settings in your router it will affect all other devices connected to your network. This may slow down your internet connection when doing other things online, like gaming or video-conferencing, or it may lock you out of Australian online services.

In many respects this is personal preference, but there’s extra effort required per device if you don’t have or don’t want to input VPN or smart DNS details directly into your router or modem-router. In terms of tests, the easiest devices are PCs, Android devices, and the Xbox One.