Buyer Database · Streaming Platform · Updated
HBO Max
HBO Max is a premium streaming platform commissioning ambitious long-season dramas and globally resonant local originals, with a renewed focus on habitual, broadcast-style viewing habits.
Current mandate
HBO Max is operating from a position of strategic clarity, doubling down on premium originals that can anchor habitual, week-to-week viewing. The platform's leadership has been explicit that the breakout performance of The Pitt, which aired in January 2025 and earned Emmy recognition, is reshaping how the streamer thinks about format and volume. Rather than chasing prestige mini-series exclusively, HBO Max is now actively developing long-season dramas, targeting 15-plus episodes per year, with an eye toward the kind of annual return that builds audience loyalty over time. Internationally, the platform is also pursuing locally authentic scripted projects, particularly in Spanish-language markets, that carry the potential to cross over to global audiences.
Across the recent acquisition window, HBO Max has moved on a range of projects that reflect this dual mandate. Pilot orders went to cop drama American Blue and family drama How To Survive Without Me. The platform also acquired the social drama Laura's Treatments (a 4x52-minute series) for France and Belgium, picked up 1978 for Latin America via a deal closed at the Cannes Film Market, and added titles including Heated Rivalry, Hotel Coppelia, One Battle After Another, and The Miniature Wife to its slate. The pattern across these moves points to a buyer comfortable working across territories and formats, with a consistent emphasis on story-driven, character-anchored material. Broadcast-trained showrunners with experience sustaining long narrative arcs are a noted strategic priority.
Material reaches HBO Max primarily through established industry relationships, packaging by talent agencies, and sales agents operating at major markets such as Cannes. The Cannes Film Market deal for 1978, brokered through Black Mandala's sales team, illustrates the role that international sales agents play in routing completed or near-completed projects to the platform's regional acquisitions teams. For original commissions, the documented pathway runs through producers and showrunners with existing relationships at the network, particularly those with broadcast-style production credentials. No unsolicited submission pathway is documented in tracked deal activity.
Signature peaks
- 15+ Episodes Long-Season Drama Push — HBO Max is actively developing dramas with broadcast-trained showrunners capable of delivering 15-plus episode seasons, modeled on The Pitt's success.
- Multi-Territory International Acquisitions — Recent deals span Latin America, France, Belgium, and beyond, with titles including 1978 (Cannes) and Laura's Treatments (France Televisions).
- 295 Decision Makers Tracked — ScriptMatch tracks 295 decision makers connected to HBO Max across commissioning, acquisitions, and development.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- Drama, Series
- Territory focus
- Europe - France, Germany, Italy and Spain
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Tracked deals show material reaching HBO Max through sales agents operating at major international markets, including the Cannes Film Market, where Black Mandala brokered the Latin America acquisition of 1978. Domestic original commissions flow through producer and showrunner relationships, with broadcast-experienced talent identified as a priority access point; no unsolicited pathway is documented in tracked deal activity.
- Deal structure
- HBO Max acquires completed and near-completed projects for platform-first release across specific territories, and commissions original series through development deals with producers and showrunners. International acquisitions are handled on a territory-by-territory basis, as seen in separate deals for Latin America, France, and Belgium.
Recent acquisitions
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1978
The deals, closed at the Cannes Film Market by Black Mandala’s Co-CEOs Nicolás Onetti and Michael Kraetzer, along with head of sales Catherine Quantschnigg, include HBO Max for Latin America
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American Blue
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Heated Rivalry
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Hotel Coppelia
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How To Survive Without Me (working title)
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Laura's Treatments
HBO Max in France and Belgium...picking up the 4×52′ social drama from France Télévisions
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One Battle After Another
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The Miniature Wife
Market context
The success of The Pitt has pushed HBO Max to actively rebuild the muscle for 15-plus episode seasons, a format the industry largely abandoned over the past decade.
Streamers running their own writer-development pipelines to source local-language originals directly rather than only through producers
Common questions about HBO Max
Does HBO Max accept unsolicited scripts?
No unsolicited submission pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracked deal activity for HBO Max. Every tracked commission and acquisition has moved through established industry relationships, talent agency packaging, or sales agents operating at major markets. If you are an unrepresented writer, the most practical route is to build toward representation or attach a producer with an existing HBO Max relationship before approaching the platform.
How does HBO Max commission original content?
HBO Max commissions originals through direct development relationships with producers and showrunners, often those with prior network or broadcast experience. Leadership has been explicit that they prioritize creative quality over quota-filling, starting from the question of what makes a good script and a good show. Pilot orders for projects like American Blue and How To Survive Without Me reflect this development-first approach, with projects typically incubated through established producer relationships.
What types of content is HBO Max commissioning right now?
HBO Max is actively prioritizing long-season dramas capable of sustaining 15-plus episodes per year, following the model established by The Pitt. Cop dramas, family dramas, and socially grounded scripted series are all represented in recent pilot orders and acquisitions. Internationally, the platform is seeking locally authentic Spanish-language scripted projects with global crossover potential. Broadcast-trained showrunners with experience managing high-episode-count seasons are a documented strategic priority.
What budgets does HBO Max typically work at?
Budget figures are not disclosed in tracked HBO Max deal activity. The platform operates across a range of formats, from four-part international acquisitions like the social drama Laura's Treatments to full-season domestic originals. Given the platform's stated emphasis on Emmy-level quality and long-season production, original commissions are generally understood by the trade press to sit at the premium end of the streaming budget spectrum, though no specific figures are sourced in current deal records.
How do I get my project in front of HBO Max?
The most documented route is through sales agents at major international markets, such as the Cannes Film Market, where the acquisition of 1978 for Latin America was brokered through Black Mandala's sales team. For domestic originals, packaging through a talent agency or attaching a producer with an existing HBO Max relationship is the observed pathway. HBO Max has also signaled particular interest in broadcast-experienced showrunners for long-season drama projects, making that credential a meaningful asset.
Is HBO Max currently active in the market?
Yes. ScriptMatch's tracking shows 600 total records over the past 12 months and a latest signal as recent as July 2026, with 295 decision makers actively monitored. Recent acquisitions include Heated Rivalry, One Battle After Another, The Miniature Wife, and the social drama Laura's Treatments for France and Belgium. The platform has also issued pilot orders for American Blue and How To Survive Without Me, signaling continued active development across both domestic and international slates.
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