More Affordable Ad-Supported Version of HBO Max Arrives in June

If you think paying $15 a month for HBO Max is too expensive, there’s good news: WarnerMedia is going to launch an ad-supported version of HBO Max in June.

The company’s parent AT&T mentioned the plan in an investor’s event on Friday. How much it will cost was left unsaid, but the company hopes the new ad-supported tier will drive a surge in user growth for HBO Max. 

Unfortunately, there’s a catch: the ad-supported tier won’t be getting the newest movie releases from Warner Bros, according to Deadline. To watch the blockbusters, you’ll have to subscribe to the $15-per-month, ad-free version of HBO Max, or pay the full ticket price at your local movie theater. The films will include Space Jam: A New Legacy, arriving in July, and The Suicide Squad, which will drop in August. 

During the investor’s event, company executives said HBO Max has already secured $80 million in advertising commitments for the ad-supported model. But sports programming won’t appear on HBO Max at least for this year. 

The goal is for HBO and HBO Max to reach 120 to 150 million subscribers by the end of 2025. Currently, the subscription services only have 61 million paying customers, which is still far behind the competition. Netflix has over 200 million subscribers while Disney+ now has 100 million. 

To attract even more users, AT&T plans on launching HBO Max in 60 markets outside the US this year. The company is mainly targeting countries in Latin America and Europe.