A cheaper version of HBO Max is coming (with ads)
Cheaper isn’t always better, but with HBO Max currently among the most expensive of the major streaming services, it would be appreciated. And according to CNET, in June we’re getting a new version that will cost less (yay) but will have commercials (boo). It also won’t feature major Warner Bros. movies at the same time as they come out in theaters, which means you’ll still have to buy a ticket if you want to see stuff like Dune, The Matrix 4 and The Suicide Squad on Day 1 (also boo). But it will be cheaper, so there’s that.
The whole idea of cord cutting was to save money, but these days there are so many streaming platforms that if you subscribe to all of them you’re footing the same kind of bill you’d have if you kept cable. And since each streamer has original content, you never be able to watch a Netflix original like Stranger Things on ordinary TV, as you could do with shows like HBO’s powerhouse series Sex and the City, which ran on E!
At $15/month, HBO Max is pretty pricey, so it’s not a bad idea for the platform to offer a lower priced option, but the lack of dual-release movies (which is a major draw for the service) is disappointing.
Cheaper HBO Max model will be HBO with commercials
One of the main draws of adding HBO to a cable subscription for $15 each month was that HBO (and other premium cable networks) didn’t have commercials. You could enjoy The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Game of Thrones without those pesky interruptions. Though the extra $15 was steep, it was worth it.
Most streamers offer subscribers the option to pay more for the ad-free experience, allowing users to choose whether they want to suffer through commercials. HBO Max started out without commercials while also offering premium content, such as the same-day release of Wonder Woman 1984 on Christmas Day, and now they’re stepping back to offer another price point to users who are willing to forego new releases and deal with ads.
To their credit, the timing for the move is right. HBO Max made the early decision to send all new 2021 Warner Bros. movies to the platform on the same day they arrive in theaters in light of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic. As movie theaters reopen, a large portion of HBO Max users will likely opt to see new movies like Dune in theaters, so they won’t miss having them on the streaming service.
Next. Streaming Wars February 2021: Netflix, Disney+ and HBO Max hold the line. dark
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h/t The A.V. Club