HBO Max currently does not have a direct-to-consumer presence in India. But it seems like the company has set into motion to make an entrance in India. WarnerMedia announced recently that it has appointed veteran Disney executive Amit Malhotra as the managing director for HBO Max in Southeast Asia and India.
Malhotra is set to now responsible for a “potential future launch” in India according to WarnerMedia's announcement. Malhotra is currently responsible for HBO Go that is currently available in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. WarnerMedia communicates that the HBO Go service will be upgraded to HBO Max in these territories.
Malhotra Malhotra has been associated with Disney for 17 years prior to this and most recently, he was the regional lead for Disney+ in Southeast Asia and was involved in the launch of streaming services Disney+, Disney+ Hotstar, and Hotstar. And with him onboard, Disney's rival company, Warner Media, is "exploring possible opportunities" and a "potential future launch in India".
Malhotra spoke on the occasion and said, “I am delighted to be part of the incredible team at WarnerMedia in Asia as we look at bringing HBO Max to this region. Warner Media’s brands including DC Universe, HBO, and Cartoon Network are extremely popular with passionate fans and audiences across this region. With a focus on consumers, our goal will be to bring all of these brands and content together in an exciting new world-class streaming experience as we move into the future with HBO Max."
Johannes Larcher, Head of HBO Max International, commented, "With our upcoming launch across Latin America on June 29 and our plans for Europe on the horizon, we turn our sights toward Asia, where we have an incredible opportunity to bring HBO Max to millions of new fans who are just as excited about streaming as our audiences in the U.S. Amit’s experience launching streaming services in both mature and emerging markets across Southeast Asia and the surrounding region make him the ideal leader to plan and oversee the rollout of HBO Max and its expanded content offering and platform experience."
HBO Max was launched in the US last year in the month of May and has since garnered 40.6 million paid subscribers. WarnerMedia has been expanding the service which started with 39 territories in Latin America and the Caribbean. This year the company upgraded its European streaming services to HBO Max.
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