It was a joint venture between HBO Asia and the Hong Kong studio Mei Ah Entertainment.

Launched in 2010, the channel focused primarily on films from Asian countries, all of which are presented in their original language and with localized subtitles available.

The channel which later expanded to Malaysia circa early October 2010, then the Philippines[4] and Thailand[5] in 2012 and 2013 respectively.

The rebranding signified a widening in the channel's scope to cover all of Southeast Asia (in addition to China, Japan, and South Korea); and a new on-air appearance meant to evoke contemporary interpretations of Asian imagery.

[6] On July 1, 2021, Red by HBO was discontinued throughout Asia, with the last film(s) aired The Garden of Evening Mists and Helen the Baby Fox.