In the avalanche of streaming services that are hitting the Aussie market, Binge may soon be buried, says streaming columnist NICK OVERALL.

The Foxtel-owned platform Binge, which launched five years ago, has been home to some of the biggest shows of the decade but a new service is about to take them back.

That service is called Max and it’s owned by Warner Bros Discovery, the company that also owns HBO.

Just a few of HBO’s greatest hits include The White Lotus, The Last Of Us, Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Westworld.

Until now these shows and many more were available to stream on Binge but come March 3, when Max makes its Australian debut, they will all start to move over to the new platform.

Max, available in the US, UK and Asia for some time, has had its eyes on Australia for quite a while.

“The globalisation of Max is a top priority, and Australia represents one of our biggest new markets and a significant opportunity to delight even more fans with the incredible stories told by our iconic brands,” says the CEO of Global Streaming and Games at Warner Bros Discovery. 

“Combining an unrivalled breadth of high-quality content, legendary franchises and a strong product experience, Australians can look forward to the highest-calibre streaming proposition from March 31.”

In no coincidence, Max will launch just two weeks before the premiere of the second season of The Last Of Us, the post-apocalyptic thriller starring Pedro Pascal that has proven a hit.

Max will no doubt be hoping to score an immediate influx of subscribers eager to see the new installment of the show.

The platform will also be home to some of the biggest new franchise shows set to hit screens in the next few years.

That includes It: Welcome To Derry, a spin-off series based on Stephen King’s best-selling novel, the new shows in the rapidly growing Game of Thrones universe, as well as the remake of a little series called Harry Potter. In other words, an absolute choke hold on pop culture.

One notable exception will be season three of The White Lotus. As the show is already halfway through its new season on Binge, the platform will get to see it out until the end.

So what will all that mean for Australian consumers already trying to keep streaming subscriptions to a minimum?

For those eagerly waiting for more HBO shows, it’s likely this won’t have too much impact as it will be merely a case of swapping one service out for the other.

No other production company is currently on par when it comes to the quality and scale of HBO shows. By having that content Binge had carved itself out as an essential streaming service. Without the HBO catalogue it simply loses its necessity.

At the time of writing there is no confirmation on pricing but there will be three tiers for subscribers to choose from, including an option with ads. The most premium tier will probably come out at around $30 to $35 a month, with the cheapest will sit at around $15.

Foxtel isn’t entirely losing out though. The company will be a launch partner of Max, meaning those who pay for Foxtel IQ can get the subscription for free.

This is ultimately still a story of an oversaturated streaming market that is only becoming more segmented.

With each new platform content is being spread more and more thinly. It’s only so long before many subscribers get fed up and start turning back towards piracy.

A vocal group online are already declaring they’re flying what you might call a digital Jolly Roger, saying they’ve turned to “alternative websites” to get their entertainment for free.

Streaming has made high-quality television shows and films more accessible than ever before. It’s concerning to see this golden age starting to slip away.