HBO Max tennis views jump 34% amid European streaming expansion

The surge in engagement validates WBD’s strategy of integrating secondary streaming features—including Multi-View and Key Moments—to combat churn during high-stakes live events. By successfully leveraging local heroes like Alexander Zverev and Maja Chwalińska, WBD demonstrated how localized content and linear/digital hybrid models can capture fragmented European audiences. This technical and regional success provides a critical proof of concept for HBO Max’s ability to scale sports tech before its wider rollout in the U.K. and Ireland. Industry observers should track whether these engagement gains translate into long-term subscriber retention after the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

The record Roland-Garros performance follows a period of aggressive infrastructure and market expansion for Warner Bros. Discovery. Per WBD's Q1 2026 earnings report in May 2026, the company's global streaming base surpassed 140 million subscribers, with management setting a target to exceed 150 million by year-end. This growth has been heavily supported by recent January 2026 launches in major territories including Germany and Italy, markets where the company previously relied on licensing deals through providers like Sky.

This expansion aligns with a broader industry shift toward ad-supported monetization in Europe. According to research from Digital i in January 2026, ad-supported tier usage on HBO Max rose from 22% to 28% between late 2024 and late 2025 across 20 global markets. These 'ad-lite' tiers are becoming central to WBD’s European strategy, helping offset headwinds in traditional linear television, which saw a 9% revenue decline in Q1 2026 due to audience shifts and the absence of NBA domestic rights.

Technologically, HBO Max’s deployment of advanced viewing tools at Roland-Garros serves as a tactical template for the upcoming 2026 Olympics and Wimbledon coverage. Per SVGEurope in May 2026, WBD is prioritizing immersive features like 1080p Dolby Vision and localized multi-language feeds to differentiate its sports portfolio. This focus on premium quality and interactivity is intended to secure market share as competition intensifies with Netflix and Disney+, who are also scaling live sports and ad-supported models across the continent.