How To Watch The Franchise Online
| Premiere date: Sunday, October 6 (US, CA) at 10pm PT/ET |
| New Episodes: every Sunday at the same time |
| Channel: HBO |
| US Stream: Max (US) |
| International streaming options: Crave (CA) | Binge (AU) | Sky TV (UK) |
| Watch anywhere: Stream from anywhere with NordVPN |
Watch The Franchise: Synopsis
Lights. Cameras. Calamity! HBO’s latest unites some incredible talent up for this 8-part comedy, which strikes a satirical, Thanos-like blow at the on-set antics of superhero movie-making. Exec produced by Sam Mendes, comedy legend Armando Iannucci, and featuring a killer A-list cast (Daniel Brühl! Richard. E. Grant! Jessica Hynes!) this is one series you won’t want to miss. Read on below for how to watch The Franchise online and catch wherever you are.
This hilarious dissection of Hollywood’s current obsession with superhero content, and the hair-raising task of keeping such a blockbuster production from going off the rails, was hatched from the mind of Mendes, famous for directing award-winning dramas American Beauty and 1917 (2019). Making his TV debut, his own industry experience melds perfectly with Iannucci’s skill for crafting acclaimed political satires (Veep, In The Loop), alongside fellow executive producer and Succession writer Jon Brown. Yes, it’s a case of Avengers assemble as they lampoon the excesses of the Hollywood machine.
In an unsubtle nod to Marvel Studio's extensive output, the series finds "Maximum Studios" neck deep in the filming of the latest instalment of its turgid superhero franchise, Tecto: Eye of the Storm. At the heart of The Franchise is beleaguered assistant director Daniel (Emmy nominee Himesh Patel, Station Eleven). He’s under immense pressure to deliver a blockbuster on schedule and under budget, while also dealing with stunt snafus, studio interference, and the tetchy talent.
His star (Made for Love’s Billy Magnussen) is getting hopped up human growth hormones to achieve a ripped, Captain America physique, his classically trained co-star bristles at having to deliver the script's ludicrous dialogue (Richard E. Grant), while Eric, the film’s visionary director (a brilliantly deadpan Brühl) is troubled by accusations of “a woman problem” on set. “I may have done a sexism once, but I’ve always wanted to make a feminism,” is his head-scratching response.
The dynamite cast also includes Lolly Adefope (Ghosts), Aya Cash (The Boys) as Anita, Isaac Cole Powell (American Horror Story: NYC), and the delightful Jessica Hynes (Spaced, W1A), who nails endearingly downtrodden as Eric’s long-suffering script-supervisor Steph.
Praised by Collider as HBO’s “next big thing” and “the perfect satire to satiate everyone,” you can catch this top-tier comedy now. Simply read the following guide for how to watch The Franchise online and stream every episode from anywhere in the world with a VPN.
Watch The Franchise online in the US
US viewers can watch The Franchise every Sunday from October 6 on HBO, with episodes airing on HBO from 10pm ET/PT. Alternatively, episodes will be added to Max around the same time and made available online for those who don’t have HBO on cable.
A Max subscription is available from only $9.99 a month. There are a number of membership options too, so if you want to skip commercials and download shows to watch on the go, you can opt for the $16.99 a month plan instead. Max has also introduced a more premium tier which throws in 4K streaming too at $20.99 a month.
Alternatively, save up to 20% by signing up to its annual rates ($99.99/$169.99/$209.99 a year respectively).
You can also now get Max as a part of a Disney Plus bundle, with prices starting from $16.99 a month.
How to watch The Franchise from anywhere
If you're a US citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch The Franchise online just as you would at home.
While services like Max block access from IP addresses outside of the US, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN that can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, US citizens overseas can subscribe to a VPN, join a US-based server and access their subscription from anywhere in the world, just like they would back home.
How to use a VPN to unblock streaming services:
1. Choose your ideal VPN and install – our go-to recommendation for unblocking is NordVPN, costing from $3.99 a month with its 2-year plan
2. Connect to a server – for Max, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the US
3. Go to the stream you wish to access - for The Franchise, head to Max.
Watch The Franchise online for free in Canada
In Canada, viewers can watch The Franchise online from Sunday, October 6 with a subscription to Crave, with episodes added weekly at 10pm ET/PT. And, if you’ve never been a member, you can go ahead and enjoy platform’s 7-day free trial.
Customers have a choice of three plans to subscribe to. Basic is Crave’s cheapest plan at CA$9.99 a month (+tax), but you're limited to a HD stream on one device. The Standard plan costs CA$14.99 a month (+tax) with top resolutions and the ability to watch across four devices, while the Premium option is ad-free, includes offline downloads and live channels, and costs CA$22 per month.
How to watch The Franchise online in the UK
UK audiences can watch The Franchise from Monday, October 21 on linear channel Sky Comedy. The first three episodes be made available to stream on Sky Comedy, Sky Go, and streaming service NOW, and as of this date the show's US and UK release schedule will sync up. Going forward, a new episode will be made available every Monday.
Sky TV packages start from £26 a month. For a more flexible streaming option, though, you can sign up to NOW's Entertainment pass. That costs £9.99 a month, with the option to cancel your membership at any time. You can also pick the £6.99 deal currently, but that will tie you in to a 6-month contract.
A US viewer abroad in the UK? If you want to connect to a streaming service like Max while out of the country, simply download a VPN and get access to the same great content you’d watch back home.
How to watch The Franchise online in Australia
And...action! In Australia, the HBO Original series will land on Binge, with new episodes uploaded every Monday beginning from October 7. New subscribers give the service a spin thanks to its 7-day free trial. After this time, however, an entry-level sub will cost as little as AU$10 a month.
The Franchise Trailer
Who Is The Cast Of The Franchise?
- Himesh Patel as Daniel
- Aya Cash as Anita
- Jessica Hynes as Steph
- Billy Magnussen as Adam
- Lolly Adefope as Dag
- Darren Goldstein as Pat
- Isaac Cole Powell as Bryson
- Richard E. Grant as Peter
- Daniel Brühl as Eric
- Ruaridh Mollica as Jaz
The Franchise Episode Release Schedule
- Episode 1: "Scene 31A: Tecto Meets Eye" Sunday, October 6
- Episode 2: "Scene 36: The Invisible Jackhammer" Sunday, October 13
- Episode 3: "Scene 54: The Lilac Ghost" Sunday, October 20
- Episode 4: Sunday, October 27
- Episode 5: Sunday, November 3
- Episode 6: Sunday, November 10
- Episode 7: Sunday, November 17
- Episode 8: Sunday, November 24
What Can We Expect From The Franchise?
As per the Warner Bros. Discovery press release: “The Franchise follows the crew of an unloved franchise movie fighting for their place in a savage and unruly cinematic universe. The comedy series shines a light on the secret chaos inside the world of superhero moviemaking, to ask the question — how exactly does the cinematic sausage get made? Because every f*ck-up has an origin story.”
It’s HBO, so expect whip-smart satire with a top-drawer comedy cast and delightfully ludicrous, jaw-dropping drama.
