HBO shows to arrive on Netflix in historic streaming service development

Jacob Stolworthy
·2 min read

A new Netflix addition has marked a groundbreaking move for the streaming service.

Each month, a new set of licenced titles are added to the platform, alongside the streamer’s original TV and film offerings.

For the first time ever, featured among the roster for July additions in the US, are HBO shows. Netflix subscribers have spotted that the entirety of Issa Rae’s comedy series Insecure has been added to its library.

Deadline reports that more will follow suit: miniseries Band of Brothers and The Pacific, as well as Alan Ball’s Six Feet Under and the Dwayne Johnson-starring Ballers.

The reason HBO shows will now appear on Netflix is due to an agreement alongside Warner Bros Discovery, which owns HBO’s streaming service, Max.

It’s been reported that Warner Bros Discovery are loaning HBO shows to Netflix to receive a financial boost. The move comes after several HBO series, including Raised by Wolves, Minx and Love Life, were unceremoniously removed from Max.

The highest-profile show to receive the chop was Westworld, which was cancelled in 2022 despite needing one more season to wrap its story up.

At the time of writing, there were no plans to add these HBO shows to Netflix in other territories. However, vampire drama True Blood, also created by Ball, will apparently become the first HBO show to be added to Netflix outside of the US. It is currently available to stream in the US on Hulu.

The Independent has contacted Netflix UK for comment.

The development is a big move for Netflix, with the presence of HBO titles undoubtedly considered a big pull for potential new subscribers.

Issa Rae in HBO series ‘Insecure’, which is available to stream on Netflix in the US (HBO)
Issa Rae in HBO series ‘Insecure’, which is available to stream on Netflix in the US (HBO)

Years ago, it would have been impossible to comprehend HBO shows being released on rival streaming services due to the premium cable network’s strict licencing rights.

Sky Atlantic exclusively airs HBO content in the UK, which is available to watch via NOW.

Find a full list of every new title coming to Netflix in July here, and a breakdown of every movie and TV show being removed from the streaming service here.