Cinemax
Cinemax is a US premium cable television network and streaming service operated by Home Box Office, Inc. (a Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary), distributing original series and Hollywood films to US TV subscribers via pay-TV providers and major streaming aggregators.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1980
- HeadquartersNew York, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Cinemax does
Cinemax is a US-only premium cable television network and streaming service operated by Home Box Office, Inc., a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. Founded in 1980 and headquartered at 30 Hudson Yards, New York, the network delivers original scripted series and a rotating slate of Hollywood films in True HD across a flagship channel plus seven multiplex feeds (Cinemax Hits, Cinemax Action, Cinemax Classics, CINEMÁX Latin, and additional variants). Its proprietary technology surface is modest: linear broadcast delivery, the CINEMAX GO mobile and connected-device app for authenticated streaming, and standard pay-TV authentication — no public API or SDK is exposed.
Cinemax does not sell directly to consumers. Distribution is entirely intermediated through pay-TV providers (DirecTV, Spectrum, Comcast Xfinity, Cox, Dish, Optimum, Verizon Fios, AT&T U-Verse) and streaming aggregators (Prime Video Channels, Hulu, Apple TV, Roku Channel). Revenue is generated via carriage fees paid by distributors and per-subscriber fees on OTT channel stores — a recurring subscription model wholly dependent on third-party platforms for end-user access.
The channel's brand identity is anchored to a slate of adult-oriented originals (Warrior, The Knick, Banshee, Quarry, C.B. Strike, Jett, Hunted, Trackers). The publicly visible schedule is heavily weighted to library film inventory. Cinemax operates as part of the Home Box Office, Inc. / Warner Bros. Discovery portfolio alongside HBO and HBO Max, sharing corporate, billing, and content infrastructure. The service is restricted to US households and has no disclosed international distribution, no independent strategic funding, and no standalone earnings disclosure; it is a non-reporting subsidiary whose commercial performance is fully determined by the parent group's distribution decisions.
Cinemax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cinemax
- Legal name
- Home Box Office, Inc.
- Website
- https://cinemax.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1980
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cinemax is a US premium cable television network and streaming service operated by Home Box Office, Inc. (a Warner Bros. Discovery subsidiary), distributing original series and Hollywood films to US TV subscribers via pay-TV providers and major streaming aggregators.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cinemax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Premium Cable Television and Streaming
- SIC
- Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Movie & Classic Film Cable Networks (MPABAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- General Entertainment Cable Networks (MPABAFAA)
Keywords
Where Cinemax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- New York
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cinemax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- TV Subscription Revenue: Cinemax generates revenue by charging TV subscription providers a carriage fee for distribution of its channel(s). Providers then bundle Cinemax as a premium add-on for their subscribers, who pay additional monthly fees. This is a traditional cable network business model.
- Streaming Platform Licensing: Content is made available through third-party streaming platforms including Prime Video, Hulu, Apple TV, and Roku Channel. Revenue likely includes both carriage fees and per-subscriber fees from these platforms.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Standard Premium Channel Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels12 records
Marketing channels2 records
Cinemax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cinemax operates a premium cable television network and streaming service delivering original action, crime, and drama series plus Hollywood blockbuster movies to US subscribers. The offering consists of a flagship channel and seven multiplex channels (Cinemax Hits, Cinemax Action, Cinemax Classics, CINEMÁX Latin, among others), broadcast in True HD and complemented by the Cinemax GO streaming app for on-demand and on-the-go viewing across devices.
Product overview
Cinemax is a premium cable television network and streaming service offering original series, blockbuster Hollywood movies, and on-demand content. The service is accessible through TV provider subscriptions (featuring the flagship station and seven multiplex channels including Cinemax Hits, Cinemax Action, Cinemax Classics, and CINEMÁX) and the companion Cinemax GO streaming app. The portfolio includes original series such as Warrior, C.B. Strike, The Knick, Trackers, Banshee, Hunted, Jett, and Quarry, alongside a rotating schedule of Hollywood films across genres.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cinemax Hits: Premium movie channel featuring Hollywood hits and blockbuster films.
- Cinemax Action
- Cinemax Classics
- CINEMÁX
- CINEMAX GO
Products and services
- Cinemax premium cable and streaming service Premium cable and streaming television service consisting of the flagship Cinemax channel plus seven multiplex variants (Cinemax Hits, Cinemax Action, Cinemax Classics, CINEMÁX Latin, and additional variations), delivering original action/crime/drama series and Hollywood blockbuster movies in True HD. Available only to US residents through partner TV subscription providers.
- Cinemax GO streaming app Free companion streaming app for Cinemax subscribers that enables live TV viewing, On Demand access, and on-the-go streaming of Cinemax content across multiple devices as part of the Cinemax subscription.
Companies that use Cinemax
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Cinemax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Cinemax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- AT&T U-VersecoreAT&T U-Verse TV service distributes Cinemax as a premium add-on channel to its subscribers. AT&T acquired HBO's parent company Time Warner, making this a related-party distribution partnership.
- Spectrum (Charter Communications)coreSpectrum cable TV service distributes Cinemax premium channel to its subscriber base. One of the largest US cable providers.
- Cox CommunicationscoreCox cable TV service distributes Cinemax as a premium channel option for subscribers.
- DirecTVcoreDirecTV satellite TV provider distributes Cinemax premium channel to subscribers nationwide.
- Dish NetworkcoreDish Network satellite TV service distributes Cinemax as a premium add-on channel.
- Optimum (Altice USA)coreOptimum cable TV service by Altice USA distributes Cinemax premium channel to subscribers.
- Fios (Verizon)coreVerizon Fios fiber-optic TV service distributes Cinemax premium channel to subscribers.
- Xfinity (Comcast)coreComcast Xfinity cable TV service distributes Cinemax premium channel as an add-on for subscribers.
- Prime Video (Amazon)coreAmazon Prime Video offers Cinemax as a channel add-on through its streaming platform, allowing Prime subscribers to add Cinemax to their subscription.
- HulucoreHulu streaming platform distributes Cinemax as a premium add-on channel for its subscribers.
- Apple TVcoreApple TV channel store distributes Cinemax, allowing Apple TV users to subscribe to Cinemax through the Apple TV app.
- Roku ChannelcoreRoku's streaming platform features Cinemax as an available channel, allowing Roku users to add Cinemax to their streaming subscription.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Cinemax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Crunchyroll: Subscription video service available via streaming marketplaces (Prime Video Channels, Apple TV, Roku) targeting a specific content niche (anime) — comparable as a premium add-on distributed through the same streaming aggregator channels.
- BritBox: Subscription streaming service for British content distributed through pay-TV and streaming platforms including Apple TV, Prime Video, and Roku — directly analogous as a genre-specialty add-on in the same distribution ecosystem.
Broad incumbents
- Max: Warner Bros. Discovery's flagship streaming platform — a broader incumbent in the same corporate family that bundles HBO originals with theatrical films, partially overlapping with and cannibalizing Cinemax's content proposition.
- Paramount+ with Showtime: Broader streaming and pay-TV incumbent that now bundles Showtime's premium content; competes for the same premium-add-on dollars and overlaps with Cinemax's premium movie/series positioning.
- FX on Hulu: Premium original-content brand (FX) distributed as part of a broader streaming service (Hulu) — illustrates the model Cinemax may need to evolve toward as pay-TV declines, and a direct competitor for action/prestige drama viewership.
Direct peers
- Showtime: Direct competitor as a premium US pay-TV and streaming channel featuring original prestige series and theatrical films, distributed through the same cable/satellite/streaming ecosystem; historically the most direct peer in the premium cable movie network category.
- AMC+: Premium add-on streaming tier from AMC Networks offering original series, theatrical films, and library content distributed through pay-TV and streaming marketplaces — directly comparable in positioning, pricing tier, and target viewer.
- HBO: Flagship premium cable and streaming brand under the same parent (Home Box Office, Inc./Warner Bros. Discovery) offering original series, Hollywood films, and True HD streaming via the same distribution partners — Cinemax is effectively a sibling label targeting a more action-oriented niche.
- Starz: Premium cable and streaming network bundled through pay-TV providers and direct-to-consumer, focused on original series and theatrical films — a direct functional peer in channel positioning, distribution model, and content strategy.
- MGM+ (formerly Epix): Premium movie and original-series network distributed via pay-TV and streaming add-ons, competing for the same multiplex/distributor shelf space and premium-add-on subscriber dollars as Cinemax.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Cinemax social profiles
Digital presenceCinemax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cinemax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cinemax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cinemax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cinemax
What does Cinemax do?
Cinemax operates a premium cable television network and streaming service delivering original action, crime, and drama series plus Hollywood blockbuster movies to US subscribers. The offering consists of a flagship channel and seven multiplex channels (Cinemax Hits, Cinemax Action, Cinemax Classics, CINEMÁX Latin, among others), broadcast in True HD and complemented by the Cinemax GO streaming app for on-demand and on-the-go viewing across devices.
Is Cinemax a public or private company?
Cinemax is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Cinemax founded?
Cinemax was founded in 1980. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cinemax based?
Cinemax is headquartered in New York, United States, in the North America region.
How does Cinemax make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. TV Subscription Revenue is the primary driver. The others are streaming Platform Licensing.
Who are Cinemax's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Crunchyroll and BritBox. Broad incumbents are Max, Paramount+ with Showtime and FX on Hulu. Direct peers are Showtime, AMC+, HBO, Starz and MGM+ (formerly Epix).
Does Cinemax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cinemax.
What industry is Cinemax in?
Cinemax's product category is Premium Cable Television and Streaming. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAFAH, Movie & Classic Film Cable Networks, with a secondary code of MPABAFAA, General Entertainment Cable Networks. Its SIC code is 4841.