Brace yourselves…the ads are coming.
HBO Max has announced it will launch a new ad-supported tier starting the first week of June. This will give consumers the choice to continue with the current ad-free HBO Max tier for $14.99/month, or shift to the ad-supported tier for $9.99/month.
And while the key difference comes from the ads, there’s another big one you may want to consider when choosing your plan. Only the ad-free tier will have access to the same-day Warner Bros. premieres. Yup, if you don’t want to drop the extra $5 on the ad-free subscription, you won’t get to stream The Suicide Squad.
Interestingly, HBO Max also promised an “immediate commitment to having the lightest ad load in the streaming industry.” That’s a pretty bold statement. Essentially, HBO Max seems to be saying, yes, we’re going to have ads, but not like those OTHER guys have ads.
“HBO Max with Ads will bring our beloved entertainment brands and franchises to even more consumers at this new, lower price point-while, for the first time, elegantly connecting brands to the premium, iconic IP that defines this service,” said Tony Goncalves, EVP and Chief Revenue Officer for WarnerMedia.
HBO Max has trailed behind other streaming services like Disney+ in terms of subscribers. Many blame the service’s higher price point. At $14.99, an HBO Max subscription costs nearly double that of a Disney+ subscription (currently $7.99). Obviously, Warner Media hopes that a lower price point of $9.99/month will convince more consumers to subscribe.
So, what do you think of this new HBO Max plan? If you’ve been holding off on subscribing, does the $5 drop in price convince you? When it comes to streaming services, would you rather pay less for content that includes ads, or more for content without them? Let us know in the comments.
Source: HBO Max
