If you’re trying to watch HBO Max in NZ, the streaming service won’t work. You’ll run into an error saying, “HBO Max is not available in your region.” Don’t worry, there’s a simple way to get around this issue.
All you need to do is trick HBO Max into thinking you’re watching the service from inside the US. It sounds complicated, however, it’s very simple. All you need is a US IP address.
The best way to get a US IP address is by using a reliable VPN.
This article will explain how you can get a VPN that works with HBO Max and I’ll explain you how you can use it to watch HBO Max in NZ.
See also:
- How to watch the Friends Reunion in NZ: It’s EASY and only takes 2-minutes!
- How to stream Mortal Kombat in NZ
- How to watch Nomadland in NZ
How to watch HBO Max in NZ: Quick Guide
To get a US IP address and watch HBO Max in NZ, all you need to do is follow the simple steps below:
Total Time: 3 minutes
Create a new account with ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
Download and install the new VPN app
Open your new app and connect to a server in the US
Go to HBO Max
Create an HBO Max account (see more below)
Watch HBO Max in NZ
How to create an HBO Max account in NZ
Using a reliable VPN like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) will remove the “HBO Max is not available in your region” error that you’re coming across. However, if you don’t already have an HBO Max account, there is another hurdle you’ll have to get over before you can watch HBO Max in NZ.
To create an HBO Max account, HBO only accepts US forms of payment.
Don’t panic though, if you don’t have a US credit card or a friend living in the US, there’s a very easy way to create an HBO Max anywhere. All you need is an Android or Apple phone. Follow the steps below to create an HBO Max account:
Android
- Create a new Google Play account and login to it on the Google Play store
- Download and install ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) on your Android phone
- Connect to a US server on ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
- Open up your Google Play Account
- Click Settings
- Click General
- Click account and device preferences
- Change your location to the US
- Put in your credit card details
- Close Google Play and open it again (you should be on the US version of the Google Play Store)
- Download and Install HBO Max
- Create an HBO Max account (you can use your local credit card)
Apple
- Download and install ExpressVPN ($6.67/month)
- Connect to a US server
- Create a new iCloud account
- Login with your new iCloud account
- Go to settings and click media and purchases
- Click view account
- Change country to the US
- Download HBO Max on the App store
Why isn’t HBO Max available in NZ?
HBO Max is only available in the US. It only has the rights to broadcast its content in the States. It doesn’t have international broadcast rights.
Similar to other streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, and Paramount+, HBO Max is subject to its licensing agreements. If it made itself available to customers in NZ, it could face severe copyright and licensing repercussions.
To prevent these issues from arising, HBO Max uses geo-blocking technology that prevents anyone outside of the US from accessing its content. These geo-blocks are the reason you’re running into errors when trying to connect to HBO Max.
How does HBO Max block my connection?
The way HBO Max blocks your connection is all to do with your location and your IP address.
Whenever you connect to the internet, you’re given a unique IP address. This IP contains information that discloses your location. When you go online in NZ, you’re given an NZ-based IP.
When you connect to HBO Max, the service scans your IP address. If the IP isn’t from the US, HBO Max blocks it.
How do I get around HBO Max’s geo-blocks?
It’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is trick HBO Max into thinking you’re connecting to its service from within the US.
To do that, you need a US IP address. This is where the VPN comes in. A VPN makes it very easy to change your IP address and unblock HBO Max.
How do VPNs work?
VPNs are able to provide you with an anonymous internet connection and an IP address in a location of your choice.
They do this by encrypting all of your internet data, and rerouting it through one of their servers. Once the data gets to the server, it’s decrypted and sent to a local internet service provider.
The best thing about VPNs is you can select the server the data is sent to. To unblock HBO Max, all you need to do is select a US server, giving you a US IP address.
When you connect to HBO Max, it will scan your IP, see that is based in the US, and you’ll be able to access its content.
It’s that simple.
Does HBO Max block VPNs?
Yes, it does. HBO Max, like Netflix, Hulu and Paramount+, tries to block VPN connections.
It does this by monitoring for an abnormal amount of connections coming from the same IP address. For lesser VPNs, this can be a problem. Lesser VPNs have more customers than IP addresses, and this means customers often have to share IP’s.
When HBO Max sees hundreds of connections coming from the same IP, it knows that that’s an IP provided by a VPN, and it blocks it.
Will any VPN work with HBO Max?
Unfortunately, there are VPNs out there that aren’t trustworthy. Some VPNs are malicious and track your internet usage. Some are cons that don’t provide the service they say they will, and some don’t work with HBO Max.
The good news is, there are VPNs that are trustworthy, like ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), and they work reliably with HBO Max.
ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month) are able to work reliably with HBO Max because they have measures in place to get around the streaming services blocks. Neither of these VPNs can guarantee that an IP address they provide won’t get identified and blocked by HBO Max. However, they can guarantee their service will consistently work with HBO Max.
This is because they play a game of cat and mouse with HBO Max. When HBO blocks an IP address provided by ExpressVPN ($6.67/month) or Private Internet Access ($2.03/month), these VPNs will close that IP address and open a new one. This means that they stay ahead of HBO’s blocks, and it allows you to reliably watch HBO Max in NZ or anywhere in the world.
The best VPNs to watch HBO Max
1. ExpressVPN 🥇
Why You Should Use ExpressVPN? It’s the fastest and MOST reliable VPN of 2022
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
Special Offer for you!
Get 3 extra months free when you sign up for a 12-month ExpressVPN plan. That’s 15 months in total for the price of 12.
Number of servers: 3,000+ | Speed: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 160 in 94 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $6.66/month for 15 months
- $9.99/month for 6 months
- $12.95/month for 1 month
ExpressVPN ($6.66/month) is still the best VPN. And importantly, it ALWAYS has servers that are open with major streaming sites such as Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, Amazon Prime Video, etc.
ExpressVPN is usually very good at playing Cat and Mouse with online streaming sites. Meaning, whenever one of its servers is blacklisted it creates a new one – giving its users a constant stream of servers that aren’t blocked. Needless to say, this is a valuable attribute if you’re looking for a VPN to unblock streaming sites.
Its app is easy-to-use and free to download on pretty much any device you can think of. Mac, Windows, iOS, Android, FireStick, Android TV, Roku, PS4, Xbox, Linux, even Apple TV (with a workaround). It’s got it all covered.
The app is another main reason this VPN is so good at unblocking TV streaming sites (that claim they block VPNs) is that its software takes a pragmatic approach to user management. While other VPNs tempt customers by promising them access to hundreds/thousands of servers in multiple countries, ExpressVPN does things differently.
With ExpressVPN you only have a handful of server locations to choose from. Once you select your location the app takes care of the rest. Assigning you to the fastest available server that’s not oversubscribed. This simple technique is so important, as it keeps ExpressVPN’s servers operating at lightning-fast speeds and prevents its IPs from getting blacklisted for “abnormal” usage in the first place.
Check out our full ExpressVPN review.
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2. Private Internet Access 🥈
The BEST low-cost VPN for streaming!
Pros
- ✅ Fast and reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 10-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
Cons
- ❌ Only 48 server locations
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 25,000+ | Speed: >75% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 70 in 74 countries | Devices supported: 10 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.03/month for 3 years
- $7.50/month for 6 months
- $11.99/month for 1 month
Private Internet Access is one of the leading no-log VPN services with over 1-million paying customers.
This VPN is one of the best in the industry at beating streaming sites’ VPN bans. It provides reliable connections with US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, HBO Max, Disney+ Amazon Prime Video, etc. It also allows 10 simultaneous devices to be connected to its servers at the same time, so you can share the account with your close friends.
If – for whatever reason – you’re not happy with Private Internet Access, there’s a 24/7 live chat support available to assist you with your problem. PIA also offers the industry-standard 30-day money-back guarantee.
From my tests (from New Zealand) I was able to get download speeds of 70 Mbps while connected to a UK server using the Private Internet Access VPN (my non-VPN speed is 100 Mbps).
Special Offer – Save 83%
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3. NordVPN 🥉
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ No logs
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 6-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ No refunds for purchases from iTunes/App store
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for a 3-year plan with Private Internet Access and save 83% + 3 months free. That works out at $2.03/month.
Number of servers: 5,000+ | Speeds: >80% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 62 countries | Devices supported: 6 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $3.49/month for 2 years
- $6.99/month for 1 year
- $11.95/month for 1 month
NordVPN is the most widely-used VPN in the world. And it’s easy to see why. It’s a polished app that delivers fast connections (more on this later) to a massive network of VPN servers.
It’s the most reliable at unblocking popular streaming services too – US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, BBC iPlayer, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. This is because NordVPN hired a full-time technical team (that’s responsible for monitoring its servers’ connections with popular TV streaming services) and has been aggressively investing in its network of IP addresses in key locations.
Another interesting thing to note is that NordVPN is an industry leader in its development of Nordlynx technology. Nordlynx is built using the WireGuard, a new VPN tunneling protocol designed to outperform current standards (OpenVPN and IPSec). The benefits, according to NordVPN, are dramatically faster transfer speeds while connected to a VPN. My tests – New Zealand to London – confirm that Nordlynx is currently the fastest VPN on the market. However, the difference isn’t dramatic, a few Mbps is all.
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4. Ivacy
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ Fast servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ Dedicated streaming servers
- ✅ 5-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ 24/7 Live Chat
Cons
- ❌ Only 5 devices
- ❌ Sometimes runs slow
- ❌ Occasionally block by streaming sites for several days
Special Offer for you!
Sign up for Ivacy and enjoy a 7-day trial with no strings attached
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $1.16/month for 5 years
- $3.50/month for 1 year
- $9.99/month for 1 month
If you’re looking for an excellent VPN, with an even better price tag, Ivacy ($1.16/month) is a great option.
This VPN has all the features you need to stream BBC iPlayer, in HD, from any country in the world. I’ve been testing the app recently on Mac, PC, Android, iOS and FireStick and the results have been impressive – unlocking BBC iPlayer, US Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, etc. with ease.
The Ivacy app is a little different in regards to its UX (user experience). Instead of just selecting a UK server, you need to select the specific BBC iPlayer server. Don’t worry, this isn’t a bad thing – by connecting to a dedicated BBC iPlayer server, it simply means that you’re connecting to an IP address that Ivacy knows works with BBC iPlayer.
For an extra $1.99/month (£1.74) you can add-on a dedicated IP. This will buy you sole access to an IP address in a country of your choice, meaning you won’t have to share your IP (and speeds) with any other use. I don’t recommend this though, using the regular Ivacy servers is enough 95 per cent of the time.
Special Offer – 7-day FREE trial!
(30-day money-back guarantee)
5. CyberGhost
A very quick and trustworthy VPN
Pros
- ✅ 1-day free trial
- ✅ Reliable servers
- ✅ Thousands of IP addresses
- ✅ 7-simultaneous connections
- ✅ 30-day money-back guarantee
- ✅ Easy-to-use app
Cons
- ❌ Expensive
- ❌ Average speed scores
SPECIAL OFFER – 1-DAY FREE TRIAL
Take advantage of CyberGhost’s 1-day FREE TRIAL!
Number of servers: 1,000+ | Speed: >65% | Bandwidth: Unlimited | IP locations: 275 in 100 countries | Devices supported: 5 | Live chat: Yes | 30-day money-back guarantee: Yes
- $2.75/month for 3 years
- $3.69/month for 2 years
- $5.99/month for 1 year
- $12.99/month for 1 month
CyberGhost is one of the more established VPNs on the market. It has a well-established, and well-tested global network of servers that perform well.
From my tests over the past several months, CyberGhost has no trouble at unblocking major streaming services – US Netflix, BBC iPlayer, Hulu, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max etc. This VPN performed well at maintaining download speeds, well above 65 per cent of my regular (non VPN) ISP speed.
That said, there’s nothing really unique about the service. Which forces you to look at its price-point. And there’s nothing special here. Its short-term $12.99/month price tag puts is well above the industry average of $10.10/month. Similarly, its long-term $2.75/month for 3 years deal isn’t much of a “deal” either.
Oddly, CyberGhost’s most unique feature is its a 1-day, no obligations, free trial. This is an appealing offer to customers who are new to VPNs. However, it’s important to remember that most reputable VPNs will offer customers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so try not to be too seduced by the offer.
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(30-day money-back guarantee)
