Updated 06/04/2021:
The new ad-supported tier for HBO Max has now launched with the $9.99 per month price tag. It’s available for new and existing subscribers, check this link to switch your account, and you can save $20 by paying for an annual plan instead of going month to month.
Some additional info on the plan has also been released, such as more restrictions for the ad-supported tier. We already knew subscribers on the cheaper plan would miss out on those hot new theater releases. Although, HBO says those new titles will become available months after they first debut on the streaming platform and in theaters.
Furthermore, HBO Max has revealed streaming quality will be limited to 1080p instead of 4K like on the full-priced plan, and you won’t be able to download videos with the Android or iOS app.
Original Article
HBO Max is one of the pricier streaming services out there at $14.99 a month. Now, it looks like the WarnerMedia owned streamer is doing something about it. In an announcement yesterday, it revealed in the first week of June 2021, HBO Max will begin offering an ad-supported tier costing $9.99 a month in the U.S. Just in time for the Friends Reunion special which premieres on May 27, 2021.
The discount puts it more in line with some of its competitors by offering a price under $10 per month. However, many of them, such as Netflix, Disney+, and Prime Video all offer ad-free experiences in that price range.
Regardless, HBO Max says it is dedicated to offering the “lightest ad load in the streaming industry, coupled with the most premium content.” At launch, advertisers will be able to offer a “brand block” where viewers experience a limited commercial experience featuring its brand.
In the future HBO Max will introduce “pause ads” similar to what you experience on Hulu’s ad-supported tier, and “branded discovery” which “surround the content discovery process as consumers explore HBO Max recommended programming.”
While $10 a month for access to all that HBO Max has to offer with a light ad load sounds like a decent enough deal, there is one major caveat here. Do you remember when HBO Max announced it would be releasing its 2021 movie lineup on the streaming service the same day as the theater release?
Well, those won’t be available on the HBO Max ad-supported tier. That’s right, if you want to see the latest Warner movies, you must be subscribed to the more expensive $14.99 a month plan. Although, that still beats what Disney+ charges for Premier Access to watch its latest movies while they’re still in the theater.
While the HBO Max ad-supported tier is coming to the U.S. in June, the ad-free version of the service will also roll out to 39 additional countries later that month. WarnerMedia will also transition HBO services in Europe to HBO Max by the end of 2021.
