HBO Max Will Get an Ad-Supported Tier

HBO Max will offer a new ad-supported tier for subscribers starting in June that only costs $10, down from the $15 cost of the normal subscription. 

WarnerMedia announced the plans to launch the new tier on Wednesday, also revealing a new original series, as well as content premieres. While a $10 streaming plan undoubtedly will appeal to many, the lower cost does come with some drawbacks. Notably, Arstechnica reports that the lower-tier plan will not include HBO’s same-day theater premieres, which will include simultaneous launches of movies like Dune, The Matrix 4, and The Suicide Squad later in the year. 

The company has, however, revealed that HBO Max will provide a lighter ad load than other streaming services that use advertisements.

"HBO Max with Ads provides a superior marketing environment, featuring the lightest ad load in the streaming industry, driving engagement with consumers and efficacy for our partners," JP Colaco, head of advertising sales for WarnerMedia, said in the announcement. 

In the press release, Warner detailed three examples of how it will implement advertising into HBO Max content. First, there will be brand blocks, which allow a brand to own a block of content. This will most likely be similar to the sponsorship introductions you might see on some YouTube videos, where it basically says, "this episode is brought to you by such and such brand."

HBO also plans to add in pause ads that appear when you have an episode or movie paused, as well as branded discovery, which will add an advertisement to the discovery area in the application.

HBO Max with Ads will arrive during the first week of June, though Warner has not revealed an exact date at this time.