Foreword
In this article, we will be exploring how you can watch HBO Max in geo-restricted locations, such as Singapore, one of the countries where HBO Max has not officially launched.
Launched in May 2020, HBO Max is a WarnerMedia-owned streaming platform, and a subsidiary of AT&T. HBO Max is an extension of the conventional HBO cable network. It streams a broad range of additional programming from WarnerMedia-owned properties like CNN, TNT, TBS, and Warner Bros.
The most frequently asked question, “how is HBO Max different from other streaming services,” can be seen from some of the noteworthy features of the streaming service like its “Max Originals” programming, which includes original movies, documentaries, and TV shows exclusively produced for the platform. This programming includes popular shows like “Lovecraft Country”, “The Flight Attendant”, and “Raised by Wolves”.
HBO Max also offers personalized recommendations for its programming, plus the overall interface of the app allows users to tweak settings tailored to their viewing experience. From thousands of hours of curated collections of content to the ability to create custom profiles for different users to help viewers find the content they want to watch; HBO Max is a complete viewing experience.
Available in the Following Regions
When HBO Max initially launched, the premium streaming service was only available in the United States. However, since then, the platform has expanded its streaming services to essentially three additional regions:
- Latin America: In the Latin Americas, HBO Max is available in the following countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela.
- The Caribbean: In the Caribbean, HBO Max is available in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curacao, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks and Caicos.
- Europe: Åland Islands, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Ceuta, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Faroe Islands, Finland, Greenland, Hungary, Madeira, Melilla, Moldova, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Svalbard & Jan Mayen, Sweden are all the European countries that HBO Max is available to stream.
- North America: In North America, HBO Max can be streamed in Mexico, and the United States (including American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands).
Pricing
HBO Max is a premium on-demand TV streaming service that essentially offers two standard subscription packages, one with ads and one ad-free offering:
Package | Price per month | Hours of Content | Streams | Video |
HBO Max (with ads) | $9.99 | 10,000 | 3 | 1080p |
HBO Max | $15.99 | 10,000 | 3 | 1080p, 4K |
Additionally, subscribers can save 16 percent by prepaying annually for their package subscription. With ads, the same package prepaid annually would cost just $99.99 per year or $8.33 per month. Similarly, the ad-free variation would cost users $149.99 per year or $12.49 per month. So, there’s a great margin for savings with HBO Max’s annual payment plans.
How to Watch HBO Max in Singapore [Quick Guide]
Although HBO Max is available to stream in many locations, there are still many more where HBO Max cannot be viewed due to geo-restrictions. Anyone trying to access the HBO Max website from a geo-blocked location without a reliable VPN will be unable. This is due to the streaming services’ fortified geo-blocking firewalls that identify any IP address trying to access the website outside select locations.
The geo-restricted location that we’ll be looking into today is Singapore which is not on the list of countries where HBO Max provides streaming services. So basically you’d need to spoof the HBO Max firewall system against detecting your actual location’s IP address. To do that, you’d need a reliable VPN that will mask your local Singaporean IP with an American IP address and trick HBO Max geo-location firewalls.
Why Do You Need a VPN to Access HBO Max in Singapore (or anywhere outside the US)?
Due to copyright policies, HBO Max is largely available for streaming in the US countries. If you’re anywhere outside the available locations, you would be redirected to an error page that would read: “Not in Service Area or VPN Detected.” As bad as it looks, you can still get around this error by subscribing to a reliable premium VPN service. A premium VPN service like ExpressVPN would cloak your local IP and manipulate HBO Max detectors with its optimized US servers and next-generation security protocols.
Best VPNs to Watch HBO Max anywhere in Singapore
This section will dive into the best three recommendations for VPNs that we tested (more than 40). We narrowed down the list to three substantial VPNs based on their expansive network, bandwidth, unblocking capabilities, and security protocols that operate consistently with HBO Max anywhere in Singapore.
ExpressVPN – Recommended VPN to Access HBO Max in Singapore
- Built-in speed: ExpressVPN includes a feature that enables you to check your web speed. Their fastest servers are based in Australia.
- Standard of encryption: ExpressVPN employs an AES 256-bit encryption, known widely for its secure encryption technology.
- Kill switch feature: DNS leak, Split tunneling, and kill switch features are additional offerings from this top-notch VPN service provider.
- Privacy policies: ExpressVPN contains privacy policies present within the network, like WireGuard, which analyzes the security layers to ensure users experience fewer issues related to privacy concerns.
- Complete Protection: With ExpressVPN you are fully protected because it doesn’t monitor login time, the IP address that’s being utilized, any traffic, or any data of the pages visited via the IP address you connect from.
- Subscription Plan: The best package is priced at $8.32 per month (billed annually) and includes a 30-day money-back guarantee, securing for you a savings of 35 percent overall.
Surfshark – Budget-Friendly VPN to unblock HBO Max in Singapore
- Unique security techniques: Surfshark doesn’t save any of its user’s private information or browsing history securing your identity from hackers by deleting any hint of it with each reboot.
- Global Servers: Surfshark offers 3,200+ servers stretched across 65 countries with extensive simultaneous connections at phenomenally high speeds and multiple servers, all with a no logs policy.
- Secure Protocols: Surfshark employs secure encryption protocols like AES-256 encryption, plus the secure protocols OpenVPN UDP and TCP, IKEv2, and Wire Guard that completely encrypt your internet traffic.
- Split Tunneling: This feature from Surfshark allows users to split their internet connection into two, granting users the foreign access they require while simultaneously being updated with local news.
- Subscription plan: Unlike most premium VPN services, Surfshark offers a great two-year monthly subscription plan for just $2.49. Additionally, you need only pay roughly a dollar more ($3.48) to access the search and alert features available with this offering.
NordVPN – Largest Server Network VPN to Unblock HBO Max in Singapore
- Fast Servers: Due to ease of setup, NordVPN is most suitable for beginners. It also offers its premium users a vast server network (5,200+ servers worldwide). Even the most secure firewalls of geo-restricted sites like Youtube TV, Amazon Prime, and HBO Max are easily bypassed because of Nord’s fast servers.
- High tunneling protocol: To prevent internet speeds from lagging, Nordlynx, a software used by NordVPN, is a tunneling protocol that supplies blazing-fast internet speed, no matter where you may be.
- Advanced Security: With NordVPN, you get advanced security with AES 256-bit encryption, reliable server technology, automatic kill switch, split tunneling, no IP address leaks, and complete anonymity while browsing.
- Double Protection: One unique feature you can get with NordVPN is that it provides users with an added layer of protection by changing their IP address twice, and web traffic encryption. NordVPN’s double security protocol is so secure, it can unblock any geo-restricted website, enabling users to watch DirecTV Now outside the USA, CBS (all access) outside the USA, and Fox Sports Go outside the US with ease.
- Subscription plan: Cheaper than most VPNs, with NordVPN you can secure 51 percent in savings on subscribing to their 24-month plan, plus you get three extra months with NordVPN, all for the cost of $3.99 per month or $107.73 for the first two years.