If the $14.99/month price tag left you hesitant to subscribe to HBO Max, listen up. The platform launches its cheaper, ad-supported subscription tier today.

Consumers now have the option to subscribe to HBO Max with ads for $9.99/month. The ad-supported price point helps narrow the expense gap between HBO Max and its streaming competitors. 

And if you don’t already subscribe to HBO Max, you could save even more by subscribing now. The platform is offering new and returning subscribers the option to pre-pay for a year, with a 15% discount overall. You can get a year of HBO Max with ads for $99.99 or without ads for $149.99.

Interestingly, as HBO Max introduces ads for the first time, it also promises consumers they’ll see less of them than on other platforms. The streamer asserted a “commitment to the lowest commercial ad load in the streaming industry.” Practically, this translates to a maximum of four minutes of commercial time per hour. Additionally, ads will not play during HBO programming.

“Advertising is a time-tested way to reduce the cost of great entertainment and reach a wider audience,” said Andy Forssell, EVP & General Manager at HBO Max. “We’ve worked hard to create an elegant, tasteful ad experience that is respectful of great storytelling for those users who choose it, and which we’re confident will deliver for our advertising partners as well.”

It’s worth noting that content and functionality will be slightly different across the ad-supported and ad-free tiers. For instance, the ad-supported tier will not include the option to download content for offline viewing. Additionally, streaming video quality will be capped at 1080p. Finally, the 2021 Warner Bros. films with same-day theatrical and HBO Max debuts will not appear on the ad-supported version. (Though after the films conclude their theatrical runs and move back to HBO Max months later, they will be available on both tiers.)

HBO Max brings together HBO Originals like Game of Thrones, Lovecraft Country, and Mare of Easttown, as well as streaming Max Originals like The Flight Attendant and Zack Snyder’s Justice League. The streamer also includes studio collections from DC, Studio Ghibli, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, and more.

Source: HBO Max