HBO Max will soon be home to some live sports thanks to a new distribution agreement between Turner and the U.S. Soccer Federation.
The new eight-year deal, which begins in 2023, will make TNT, TBS and HBO Max the exclusive English-language home for several Women’s and Men’s National Team matches each year. HBO Max will live stream more than 20 United States National Soccer Team matches each year. TNT or TBS will televise approximately half of those matches – all simulcast on HBO Max – but the remaining matches will be exclusive to the streaming platform.
“This is a significant milestone for Turner Sports and WarnerMedia, further demonstrating our commitment to the distribution of premium live sports content on HBO Max, while simultaneously fueling our leading entertainment networks, digital and social assets,” said Lenny Daniels, president of Turner Sports, in a statement. “We’re excited to spotlight one of the most popular Women’s teams in the world, along with an ascending Men’s National Team, over the eight years of this agreement. This partnership offers us an opportunity to engage with their avid, young and diverse fan bases through all of our Turner Sports and Bleacher Report platforms.”
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“We are thrilled to be partnering with Turner Sports at this amazing time for soccer in the United States," said U.S. Soccer President Cindy Parlow Cone in a statement. “During our discussions it was clear how dedicated they are to growing soccer in the United States, especially their commitment to expand the women’s game. As we build towards 2026 and beyond, we have found a fantastic partner to spotlight the stories of our Women's and Men's National Teams."
Adding live sports is a significant step for HBO Max and it brings the platform into closer competition with competitors like Paramount+, which offers NFL games, UEFA Champions League soccer matches and more.
When WarnerMedia renewed its distribution agreement last year with the NHL, it included streaming rights within the deal. Though live hockey has yet to show up on HBO Max, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar said it’s absolutely something that could happen down the road a little further and added when his team built the new HBO Max platform, it made a conscious decision to not just design it around on-demand programming.