How to watch His Dark Materials season 3 online: stream the final season on HBO Max

(Image credit: HBO Max)

Based on the last book in Phillip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy, season 3 will reunite viewers with Lyra and Will as they risk their lives to save an old friend and follow Lord Asriel as he recruits soldiers for his war against the Authority. Starring Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, and James McAvoy, catch the concluding season of this spectacular show with our guide below, which explains how to watch His Dark Materials season 3 online from anywhere.

*Warning – potential season 1 and 2 spoilers below*

Watch His Dark Materials season 3 online

Release date: Monday, December 5 (US) | Sunday, December 18 (UK)

New episodes: two new episodes released per week (US)

Cast: Dafne Keen, Ruth Wilson, Will Keen, James McAvoy, Amir Wilson, Ruta Gedmintas, Jade Anouka, Joe Tandberg, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje

Streaming options: HBO Max (US) | Crave (CA) | BBC iPlayer (UK) | Binge (AU)

Watch anywhere: try the world's top VPN

Religious group the Magisterium remain intent on disposing of Lyra (Keen), believing the prophesy that the young orphan will herald the second fall of mankind. After being kidnapped by Mrs Coulter (Ruth Wilson) last season, we’ll see Father Gomez (Jamie Ward) dispatched to retrieve them, either “dead or alive” – they're not picky.

Meanwhile, a key character is certain to make a comeback when Lyra and Will Parry (Amir Wilson) enter the land of the dead, hoping to find their slain friend Roger.

Also bringing back Sophie Okonedo (The Wheel of Time) as Xaphania, Ruta Gedmintas, and Joe Tandberg as the bear-king Iorek Byrnison, we’re heading excitedly towards a bravura conclusion full of conflict, burgeoning romance, and self-sacrifice as the forces of good and evil come crashing together.

As we explain in the following guide, you can watch His Dark Materials season 3 online from anywhere, and right now on HBO Max in the US.

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How to watch His Dark Materials season 3 in the US

The final rebellion against Authority has arrived. For those with cable, season 3 of His Dark Materials debuts on Monday, December 5 at 9pm ET. There are eight episodes in total, with two hour-long episodes airing back-to-back every week.

However, if you've cut the cord or don't have HBO as a part of your cable package, you can instead watch all new His Dark Materials on HBO Max, also weekly from December 5.

There are two HBO Max price points - $9.99 a month with commercials, or the 4K HDR, commercial-free subscription at $14.99 that also unlocks the download function, 4K streaming and Dolby Atmos sound.

What else can I watch on HBO Max?

That's a total bargain, considering you'll get access to a huge library of top-drawer entertainment: over 13,000 films and TV shows including The White Lotus, Westworld, award-winning animation from Studio Ghibli, DC Universe content like Peacemaker, plus Euphoria, The Matrix Resurrections, and of course Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon.

The 7-day HBO Max free trial has long since been discontinued. But, if you're a current HBO Now subscriber or pay for HBO through your cable provider, you could be entitled to HBO Max at no extra cost.

Devices compatible with HBO Max include iPhone and Android devices, Apple and Samsung TVs, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles, Chromecast and Chromebooks, and laptops and PCs. HBO Max on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick is also available.

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How to watch His Dark Materials online from outside your country

Not at home when new episodes of His Dark Materials season 3 air? If you're going to be away, you’ll find the content you’re trying to watch geo-blocked where you are.

Luckily, a VPN provides a simple solution. This piece of software alters your IP address to that of another country, which means you can gain access to your preferred streaming service and watch episodes of the latest buzz-worthy shows from anywhere.

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Once downloaded, find the location of your home country – or select it from the pre-defined list – and just click connect. Now you’ll be able to watch His Dark Materials online from anywhere, and won’t have to worry about missing a moment.

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How to watch His Dark Materials season 3 online FREE in the UK

Debut season 3 episode ‘The Enchanted Sleeper’ will air on BBC One Sunday, December 18 at 7pm GMT, with new episodes broadcast weekly.

However, if you fancy a binge, you could dive into all 8 episodes 100% FREE on BBC iPlayer. That's because His Dark Materials season 3 will be added as a boxset the same day it airs on BBC One! It’ll make perfect seasonal entertainment, and you can find every prior episode here as well.

BBC iPlayer is 100% free to stream – although you will need a valid TV license to do so – and can be viewed on a number of devices. These include: desktop on Windows and Mac machines, on smartphone apps for Android and iOS, as well as media streaming devices like Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Roku and more. You can also get BBC iPlayer on PlayStation and Xbox consoles.

Use a VPN to watch His Dark Materials from abroad

If you're outside the UK when new episodes of His Dark Materials drop, using a VPN is a super simple way of getting access wherever you are. Just sign up to ExpressVPN, select a UK server, and head over to the iPlayer website. Simple!

How to watch His Dark Materials season 3 in Canada for FREE

The climactic final season of His Dark Materials will arrive on Canadian streamer Crave on Monday, December 5, with two episodes broadcast at 9pm ET / 6pm PT every week, or available to stream on-demand around the same time.

If you don’t have cable, you can easily subscribe to Crave’s on-demand service. You’ll need to choose between Crave Total for $19.99 (+tax) a month, or sacrifice simultaneous streams and offline viewing for Crave Mobile for $9.99 a month. First, though, you can enjoy Crave's 7-day FREE trial, available to new subscribers only.

Crave offers classic HBO series, on-demand movies, Crave originals and Showtime content, including addictive TV shows like The Gloaming, Dexter, and 30 Rock, in addition to the latest HBO Max releases, such as Rap Sh!t and We Own This City.

How to watch His Dark Materials season 3 online for FREE in Australia

Catch a weekly double-helping of His Dark Materials season 3 on Binge, with new episodes available from Tuesday, December 6.

Starting at AU$10 a month, Binge is very temptingly priced, and what's more, new customers are entitled to a generous 14-day FREE trial, meaning you can try before you buy.

The Basic plan provides a single stream in SD quality, and you can upgrade to Standard and Premium plans if you want additional streams and better video quality.

You also have the option of Foxtel and Foxtel Now, which offers more of a full package, cable-like experience. Boasting 70+ channels and a 10-day free trial, get the Foxtel Now Essentials Base pack and pay just $25 a month to watch The White Lotus season 2.

Once subscribed, you’ll get access to 10,000 hours of content: reality shows, dramas, comedies and documentaries including Keeping Up with the Kardashians, House of the Dragon, Modern Family, Mayans, and Gossip Girl. It also offers more than 800 movies, and content from HBO, FX, and Warner Bros.

Daniel Pateman is a freelance writer, producing articles across the cultural spectrum for magazines like Aesthetica, Photomonitor, The Brooklyn Rail and This is Tomorrow. He also provides text-writing services to individual curators and artists worldwide, and has had work published internationally. His favourite film genre is horror (bring on Scream 5!) and he never tires of listening to Absolute 80s on the radio.