One of the big selling points for splurging on a cable subscription to watch HBO is that you don’t get ads. But HBO Max is moving away from HBO tradition by offering a cheaper, ad-supported tier starting in June. WarnerMedia made the announcement at AT&T’s analyst and investor day, but didn’t share how much it’ll cost or what date it’s launching.
So is it worth sitting through ads just because you don’t want to pay $15 for a regular subscription? The short answer is probably not—but it really depends on what you want to use HBO Max for. Sitting through ads won’t be the only downside. CNET reported that this ad version of the subscription won’t include the new Warner Bros. movies, so you’ll miss out on the Snyder Cut, Dune, and The Matrix 4. Though, really, as long as Biden’s plan for every adult to be eligible for vaccination by May 1 works, you won’t have to worry too much about missing out on watching these big releases. But if you give zero fucks about these upcoming movies and don’t mind ads getting in the way of your Sopranos binge-watch, then go for it.