Brandwave

How popular isHBO Max?

In September 2026, people searched for HBO Max by name about 9.1 million times worldwide, about the same as the previous year. These searches made up 6.8% of all global streaming service searches, placing HBO Max third out of ten services. When we asked both ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews about streaming services, HBO Max appeared in four of the five answers and was the second most recommended of the ten.

Search and AI answers in September 2026

HBO Max is the third most searched of 10 competitors and the second most recommended in AI answers.

  1. NetflixShare of searches 61.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 1st
  2. Disney+Share of searches 10.1%Mentioned in 5 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 3rd
  3. HBO MaxShare of searches 6.8%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 2nd
  4. Prime VideoShare of searches 5.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 5th
  5. YouTube TVShare of searches 5.6%Mentioned in 4 of 5 AI answersPlace in AI recommendations 6th

+5 more

HBO Max website (opens in a new tab)

Follow HBO Max and get free monthly updates on what changed

By continuing you'll get index updates and occasional product news from Brandwave. Unsubscribe any time. Privacy

Top streaming services in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews

In three ChatGPT questions and two Google AI Overviews, HBO Max was mentioned in four out of five: in all three ChatGPT answers and in one of the two Google AI Overviews. HBO Max is the second most recommended of the ten.

Most recommended by AI

Brands get a higher ranking if they are mentioned earlier in the answers.

  1. Netflix1st
  2. HBO Max2nd
  3. Disney+3rd
  4. Hulu4th
  5. Prime Video5th
  6. YouTube TV6th
  7. Apple TV7th
  8. Sling TV8th
  9. Philo9th
  10. Fubo10th

Mentioned by AI

Each dot is one answer, filled in when that answer mentions the brand.

  • Disney+5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Hulu5 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Netflix4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • HBO Max4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Prime Video4 of 5Named in 3 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • YouTube TV4 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Apple TV3 of 5Named in 2 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 1 of 2 Google answers
  • Sling TV2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Philo2 of 5Named in 0 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 2 of 2 Google answers
  • Fubo1 of 5Named in 1 of 3 ChatGPT answersNamed in 0 of 2 Google answers

See every answer about streaming services

5 answers

Brands are shown in the order each answer named them. The survey took place in the United States on October 19, 2026.

Which streaming services compete with HBO Max?

HBO Max against streaming services worldwide, by month

Share of searches by month for Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Prime Video, YouTube TV, Apple TV, Hulu. The figures are in the table below the chart.

View monthly share of searches table
MonthNetflixDisney+HBO MaxPrime VideoYouTube TVApple TVHuluFuboSling TVPhilo
Oct 202559.3%11.8%6.5%6.5%5.3%3.6%4.4%1.6%0.87%0.04%
Nov 202557.7%11.5%7.7%6.3%5.2%4.3%4.3%1.9%1%0.04%
Dec 202564.6%10.6%7.1%5.8%3.2%3.9%3.2%0.96%0.53%0.03%
Jan 202662.9%10.3%8.5%5.7%3.8%3.1%3.8%1.1%0.62%0.04%
Feb 202662.9%10.3%8.4%5.7%4.6%3.1%3.8%0.76%0.51%0.04%
Mar 202660.3%12.1%8.1%5.4%4.4%3.6%4.4%1.1%0.49%0.04%
Apr 202661.5%10.1%10.1%6.8%3%3.7%3.7%0.74%0.41%0.04%
May 202663.1%10.3%8.4%6.9%3.1%3.8%3.1%0.76%0.42%0.04%
Jun 202662.3%10.2%8.3%5.6%4.6%3.8%3.1%1.7%0.41%0.04%
Jul 202664.2%10.5%7.1%5.8%3.9%3.9%3.2%1.2%0.35%0.04%
Aug 202662.9%12.6%6.9%5.7%3.1%4.6%3.1%0.76%0.34%0.04%
Sep 202661.8%10.1%6.8%5.6%5.6%4.6%3.7%1.4%0.5%0.03%

  1. 1.Netflix

    61.8%

    Held 1st. 83.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -1.1 points.

  2. 2.Disney+

    10.1%

    Held 2nd. 13.6M estimated branded searches, -18.1% vs prior month. Share -2.5 points.

  3. 3.HBO Max

    6.8%

    Held 3rd. 9.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  4. 4.Prime Video

    5.6%

    Held 4th. 7.5M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  5. 5.YouTube TV

    5.6%

    Moved from 7th to 5th. 7.5M estimated branded searches, +82.9% vs prior month. Share +2.5 points.

  6. 6.Apple TV

    4.6%

    Moved from 5th to 6th. 6.1M estimated branded searches, 0% vs prior month. Share -0.1 points.

  7. 7.Hulu

    3.7%

    Moved from 6th to 7th. 5M estimated branded searches, +22.2% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  8. 8.Fubo

    1.4%

    Held 8th. 1.8M estimated branded searches, +83% vs prior month. Share +0.6 points.

  9. 9.Sling TV

    0.5%

    Held 9th. 673K estimated branded searches, +49.6% vs prior month. Share +0.2 points.

  10. 10.Philo

    0.03%

    Held 10th. 40.5K estimated branded searches, -18.2% vs prior month. Share 0 points.

Compare popularity between HBO Max and its closest rivals

Every comparison with HBO Max

12 comparisons

How has branded search demand for HBO Max changed worldwide over the last 12 months?

2 findings
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, estimated monthly branded searches for HBO Max worldwide held steady at 9.1M.
  • Across the 12 months ending September 2026, HBO Max’s share of searches among streaming services worldwide peaked at 10.1% in April 2026 and was lowest at 6.5% in October 2025.

How did search popularity change for streaming services worldwide in September 2026?

6 changes

  1. In September 2026, YouTube TV overtook Apple TV and Hulu to rank 5th among streaming services worldwide, with 5.6% of the searches.

  2. In September 2026, Hulu gained share of searches among streaming services worldwide, from 3.1% to 3.7%.

  3. In September 2026, Fubo gained share of searches among streaming services worldwide, from 0.76% to 1.4%.

  4. In September 2026, Disney+ lost share of searches among streaming services worldwide, from 12.6% to 10.1%.

  5. In September 2026, Netflix lost share of searches among streaming services worldwide, from 62.9% to 61.8%.

  6. HBO Max’s share of searches among streaming services worldwide has lost ground for 3 months in a row, from 8.3% to 6.8% in September 2026.

How are HBO Max’s branded searches counted?

1 search term

Brandwave collects information about searches that people make online using HBO Max’s name. When viewed over time, estimated search volumes for this branded term can be used to understand whether interest in the brand is growing, holding steady, or fading.

  • hbo max

Do you work for HBO Max? To request corrections or removal please contact us via our support page and we will be happy to assist.

How the Brand Demand Index is measured

Where does HBO Max compete?

HBO Max is ranked in two competitor sets. Each share is worked out among that set's brands, so it differs from set to set.
Competitor setRankShare of searchesRanking
Streaming services3rd of 106.8%Shown above
OTT platforms3rd of 97.7%Show ranking
Creator with pink hair and a pink jacket

Is HBO Max your brand?

Put your own campaigns, spend and outcomes next to this demand line, so you can see which of your marketing lined up with the movements above.

Start free