How to Watch HBO Max in Canada in 2021? [October Updated]

HBO Max is an American streaming platform. The popular platform, which contains best shows like Westworld and Game of Thrones, cannot be directly accessed in Canada. Our guide covers the four steps to access HBO Max in Canada in 2021.

If you want to watch it in Canada then, you will need a premium VPN to watch HBO Max.

Canadian fans can binge-watch the content on HBO through Foxtel. But watching HBO Max is still a big deal because of geo-restrictions. Thus, here we have made it easy for you. Read our guide to know how and where to watch HBO Max Canada.

Why do you need a VPN to Watch HBO Max in Canada?

You need a VPN to unblock HBO Max as it can bypass geo-restricted content, channels, and platforms. Just like you need a VPN to watch ITV, Telemundo, Stan, or to watch Hulu in Canada, similarly, HBO Max cannot be directly accessed in Canada, and thus VPN is one of the best solutions for masking your IP address and accessing the geo-restricted content. 

You will see the following message if you try to access it where it is not available:

“Not in service area

HBO Max is currently only supported in the US and certain U.S. territories.”

The VPN’s encryption feature ensures that all your online activity stays hidden from the outer world. Any data transfer happening passes through the secure VPN servers, which encrypt the packets. Thus, when you connect to a VPN server in the US, your network is encrypted, and you get a US IP address.

Best VPNs for HBO Max in Canada

We have listed the 3 best VPNs for HBO Max as follows:

ExpressVPN – Recommended VPN to Access HBO Max in Canada

After testing 20+ VPNs, we recommend ExpressVPN to watch HBO Max in Canada as it not only unblocks HBO Max but has also proved to be the fastest in terms of streaming.

In the speed tests we conducted, it managed to offer a download speed of 91.04 Mbps and an upload speed of 54.46 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

It has high-speed and highly secure 3000+ VPN servers in around 94 countries. It has 20 servers in the USA, and they are perfectly optimized servers for unblocking HBO Max. You can connect to ExpressVPN US servers and unblock any OTT service with a single click with its browser extension.

With their limited time special offer you can get 12 months of unlimited access plus an extra 3 months (free), giving you their services at $6.67/mo. Also, we tested ExpressVPN for potential leaks and found that it has no DNS leaks.

If you want to unblock the streaming platforms like  YouTube TV in Canada, Peacock TV, Voot, and NBC in Canada then use the premium and reliable VPN like ExpressVPN.

Surfshark – Budget-friendly VPN to Unblock HBO Max in Canada

Surfshark is an affordable VPN option for streaming HBO Max in Canada. The VPN charges $2.49/mo for its 2-year package and is thus an affordable VPN option. You can share your Surfshark account with your friends and family as well because it allows unlimited multi-logins. 

Surfshark has over 1700+ servers in 63 countries and 500+ dedicated servers from 20 US cities,19 out of these 20 locations can unblock HBO Max. 

It applies WireGuard tunneling protocol in the VPN industry and protects your data through it. Surfshark secures users’ data from hackers by various protocols, including OpenVPN, IPsec, IKEv2, and Shadowshocks. 

It managed to offer a super-fast downloading speed of 75.52 Mbps and upload speed of 38.74 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

NordVPN – Largest Server Network To Watch HBO Max in Canada

NordVPN has many servers to access HBO Max in Canada. It has overall, 5500+ servers from 59 countries at $3.30/mo (VPN Awareness Month - 2 year plan at 72% off + 3 months FREE) (2-year plan) make this a good choice.

NordVPN allows up to 6 simultaneous connections. It AES 256-bit encryption with a strict no-logs policy with the surety of no IP or DNS leaks. It lets you watch US Netflix in Canada using its US servers. More features like Kill switch, dedicated streaming mode, and friendly user interface make this VPN a popular choice.

It managed to offer a super-fast downloading speed of 88.43 Mbps and upload speed of 46.62 Mbps on a 100 Mbps connection.

Can a Free VPN be used to Watch HBO Max in Canada?

Yes, a free VPN can be used to watch HBO Max. However, owing to the limited features that free VPNs offer, you will face difficulty accessing it in Canada. See the following reasons why we should not use free VPN:

• Many users using free VPN will result in disconnections, poor video resolution, and buffering.
• Displaying irrelevant ads and not protecting your private information.
• usually selling your details to third parties.
• The use of free VPNs makes your system less secure as they install malware and do not encrypt your data at all.

A free VPN might flood your screen with irritating advertisements, which may be pretty unpleasant. To summarise, instead of using a free VPN, purchase a premium VPN like ExpressVPN.

Will HBO Max come to Canada?

HBO Max has no immediate plans to release in Canada due to its deal with Foxtel. At the beginning of 2020, HBO registered copyrights for HBO Max in Canada, which was a clear signal that the streaming service has plans to expand its network there. 

Nevertheless, the indication of HBO Max entering the Canadian market was laid to rest as HBO and Foxtel signed a multi-year deal in May 2020. HBO and Foxtel have very old relations as the Canadian media giant has been one of HBO’s oldest distribution partners. 

Through this deal, Foxtel’s rights of hosting and distributing HBO Max content were extended. Not just that, Foxtel also got the rights to air HBO Max content on its other digital platforms like Foxtel Now, Foxtel IQ, and Binge.

In simpler terms, Foxtel is now the home for HBO Max. Binge watchers looking for a way to watch HBO Max content in Canada can use Foxtel services to stream movies and TV shows.

HBO Max Price Plans

HBO Max Canada price is 18.90 CAD per month, which is somewhat more than the regular Netflix bundle and significantly more than Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus. There is a 7-day free trial available. 18.90 CAD is the same price as HBO Now right now, but with a lot more content to stream.

How to sign up for HBO Max in Canada and subscribe to HBO Max?

To sign up and pay  for an HBO Max subscription, you can use the following two methods:

1. Signing up for HBO Max by using a credit card of your friend or a relative.
2. HBO Max subscription using a gift card.

Signing up on HBO Max using your friend’s credit card

To sign up on HBO Max using a friend’s credit card, you need to have a friend living in the USA. Ask him to sign-up for you; you can also take their credit card details and sign up yourself. Follow the simple steps below to sign-up for the service using your friend or relative’s credit card:

1. Connect to a US server on ExpressVPN. 
2. Now head to HBO Max’s official website and click “START YOUR FREE TRIAL.” 
3. Click “Sign Up.” 
4. Fill in the necessary details. 
5. Enter your friend/relative’s Credit Card details and his location’s Zip Code. 
6. That’s it. Now, you can sign in to enjoy streaming your favorite shows and movies.

Subscribing to HBO Max using a gift card

You can also subscribe to HBO Max with a gift card by following the steps below:

1. Vist “MyGiftCardSupply” and buy an HBO Max gift card. 
2. Now visit “HBO” and redeem your gift card by entering its code and a US Zipcode.
3. Enter your First and Last Name along with your email address.
4. Now go to “play.hbomax.com” and sign in with the credentials you entered in the last step.
5. There you have your HBO Max account with an active subscription.

What devices work with HBO Max?

HBO Max supports the following list of devices:

1. Amazon Fire tablets (4th generation and later)
2. Amazon Fire TV
3. Android phone/tablets (Unblock HBO Max on Android)
4. Android TV
5. Apple iPhone/iPad, and iPod  (Unblock HBO Max on iPhone)
6. Apple TV (Best Apple TV VPNs)
7. Google Chromebooks with Chrome browser version 78 or later
8. Mac with macOS X 10.10 (Yosemite) or later
9. PC with Windows 7 or later
10. PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5
11. Roku
12. Samsung TV (2016 models and later)
13. Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
14. Xfinity X1 and Flex

Best TV Shows on HBO Max

You can enjoy the following TV shows on HBO Max:

1. Miracle Workers
2. Tig N’ Seek
3. The Nevers
4. The Knick
5. Hacks
6. The Flight Attendant
7. Game of Thrones
8. Raised by Wolves
9. Love Life
10. Raised by Wolves
11. Silicon Valley
12. South Park
13. Love Life
14. The Not Too Late Show With Elmo
15. The West Wing

Best Movies on HBO Max

You can enjoy the following list of movies on HBO Max:

1. The Suicide Squad
2. Basic Instinct
3. Batman Begins
4. F for Fake
5. Ford v Ferrari
6. Pulp Fiction
7. Scream
8. Se7en
9. Shaun of the Dead
10. Goodfellas
11. The Dark Knight
12. Jurassic Park
13. The Notebook
14. Wonder Woman
15. X-Men: First Class

Upcoming TV Shows and Movies on HBO Max Canada

Below is the list of the best upcoming TV shows and movies to watch on HBO Max:

1. Malignant
2. Arthurs Law
3. Cry Macho
4. The Way Down
5. Tokyo Vice
6. The many Saint of Network
7. King Richard
8. Tokyo Wise
9. DC Super Hero High
10. Sweet life: Los Angeles

FAQs

Conclusion

You cannot access HBO Max in Canada directly, but you can access it using a premium VPN. Nevertheless, now you will not face any issue as we have discussed the whole unblocking procedure in detail. In case you have any relevant queries, do not hesitate to comment below.

Chris Mack

Chris is a technology and entertainment writer whose main interests revolve around the art of writing and expression. He loves writing research-based articles in different niches and translating his thoughts into words that inspire others.