HBO Max has named acquisitions bosses for its upcoming launches in the UK and Italy, and they’re big ticket appointments.

In the UK, long-serving ITV Head of Content Acquisitions Sasha Breslau has been named Vice President Content Acquisitions for HBO Max in the UK & Ireland. Alessandro Volpato, who is currently Prime Video and Amazon MGM Studios Senior Manager, Content Acquisition, becomes Director of Acquisitions for HBO Max Italy.

HBO Max has been rolling out across the world, launching in 12 new territories in Europe and Asia just this week to take it total reach to over 90 territories. However, the launches in the UK & Ireland, Italy and Germany – where Sky services have traditionally run HBO content – are considered by many onlookers as among the most consequential and important to parent Warner Bros Discovery (WBD).

Breslau will take up her role in October, reporting to Ragnhild Thorbech, SVP of Programming & Acquisitions, EMEA. Her duties will include helping to shape WBD’s content strategy for HBO Max while leading on acquisitions for UK and Irish audiences.  

HBO Max is due to launch in the UK and Ireland in early 2026, which will mark a major moment for the territory. Pay-TV giant Sky has been the exclusive provider of HBO programming for many years, and there are still several questions about what happens when titles such as The White Lotus and The Last of Us launch of the WBD streamer. These include on what basis HBO Max and Sky will work together.

“HBO’s unparalleled series influenced my early decision to embark on a career in television, so the opportunity to join HBO Max as it launches here is irresistible,” said Breslau. “I’m thrilled to be working alongside Ragnhild and her talented team, and I look forward to collaborating with new and established partners to build on HBO Max’s streaming success.

Breslau, known as one of the UK’s top buyers of American and international fare, has more than two decades of experience for the likes of ITV and Channel 4. She joined ITV in 2008 and worked her way up the ranks to become its lead acquisitions exec in 2021. She was instrumental in building the library for streamer ITVX, acquiring and licensing more than 8,000 hours of titles such as Love & Death, The Twelve, One Tree Hill and The Originals, which are four of the most-watched titles on the service. She also acquired the Oprah Winfrey interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2021, and signed multi-year deals with Disney for Family Guy and American Dad.

“I’m extremely grateful to my brilliant, dedicated colleagues and friends at ITV,” she said. “Huge thanks to them for all their support and hard work over many rewarding and successful years.”

Italian Buyer

Volpato, meanwhile, will report into Joana Silva, VP of Programming & Acquisitions, will be responsible for acquiring content for HBO Max Italy, which is also due for an early 2026 launch with similar ramifications for the local content business as in the UK.

He’ll lead negotiations with Italian and European studios, distributors and independent producers, and will also work with the EMEA streaming acquisitions team to assess pan-European projects.

He was worked on deals for shows such as Pesci Piccoli, Sconfort Zone and Sono Lillo and international titles like Those About to Die. His is a return to the WBD fold, having previously worked at Warner Bros. International as Manager, International TV Distribution in London and, before that, as part of the Strategy team between the UK capital and Los Angeles.

Volpato began his career at Discovery Italia.