HBO Max Lowers Price for Viewers Willing To Watch Ads
HBO Max With Ads is the streaming platform’s cheaper subscription tier.
HBO Max has launched an ad-supported subscription tier that comes with a significant discount. Instead of paying $14.99 USD a month for a standard membership, viewers willing to watch commercials can pay a lower monthly fee of $9.99 USD.
HBO Max General Manager Andy Forrsell told The Verge that the streaming platform’s ad experience will be “elegant” and “tasteful.” “Advertising is a time-tested way to reduce the cost of great entertainment and reach a wider audience,” he added. Commercials will be capped at a maximum of four minutes per hour, and, notably, ads will not play on HBO Originals — so you can watch titles like The Sopranos and Sex and the City uninterrupted.
The ad-supported plan comes with a few additional drawbacks. Video resolution is limited at 1080 HD (the standard for Netflix‘s lower-priced subscriptions), while the more expensive tier features 4K Ultra HD streaming. In addition, subscribers won’t have access to same-day movie premieres or offline downloads, a perk for those who enjoy watching content while on-the-go.
