- A cheaper HBO Max ads-supported tier is on the way.
- Starting in June, this new tier will go live alongside the current $15-per-month ads-free tier.
- HBO Max’s parent company AT&T did not disclose how much this new tier would cost, but a rumor puts it at $9.99.
Update, April 28, 2021 (04:30 PM ET): As described below, HBO will launch an ads-supported pricing tier for its HBO Max service this year. Although we know the new pricing tier will launch in June, we don’t know what the price will be. Now, thanks to anonymous sources speaking with CNBC, we have an idea.
According to these sources, HBO Max’s ads-supported tier could cost $9.99-per-month. This is $5.00 less than the current $14.99 cost of the ads-free plan.
WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar has stated that the company plans to place ads only on content exclusive to HBO Max. There also would be no ads on HBO original shows, such as Game of Thrones. However, we’ll need to wait until June to find out the exact setup.
Original article, March 12, 2021 (10:53 AM ET): HBO Max is one of the most popular streaming services in the United States. However, it’s also one of the most expensive, coming in at $15-per-month. That’s nearly double a Netflix basic plan or a standard Disney Plus subscription.
In June 2021, though, a new HBO Max ads-supported tier will drop. This pricing tier will be less expensive than the $15 tier, which should allow the more price-conscious streaming fans to afford it.
Related: What is HBO Max? Everything you need to know
Unfortunately, AT&T — HBO’s parent company — wouldn’t disclose how much this tier would cost. It also didn’t disclose how the ads would affect your viewing experience. Will there be pre-roll and mid-roll ads? How long will the ads be? Will the ads-free tier have access to all the same content as current subscribers? These answers are unknown for now.
However, we can go ahead and assume that this means current subscribers can sit comfortably knowing they won’t have ads in their HBO Max viewing any time soon. Obviously, current subscribers could downgrade their subscriptions to save cash and deal with ads, but the existence of an ad-supported tier all but guarantees there will continue to be an ads-free tier.
We’ll need to wait until June to get all the info on the HBO Max ads-supported pricing tier. Stay tuned!
