In a recent marketing survey sent out by WarnerMedia, it was explained that an ad-supported version of HBO Max could potentially be created with just 2-4 minutes of ads per hour of viewing. It was also suggested that commercials would not appear on any HBO shows or recent movies, but would likely be added to HBO Max originals andclassic films that sometimes appear on the service. Presumably this version of the service, if it ever exists, will come with some sort of price reduction as well, which might make it a decent option, especially compared to services with higher ad minutes per hour.
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Nothing is set in stone however, and as of right now WarnerMedia has declined to comment on the exact specifics of what the plan will offer and for what price. What is known, however, is that HBO has pretty airtight contracts with many of its studios guaranteeing ad-free showings for at least some predetermined period of time. This means that at the very least, shows likeLast Week Tonight With John OliverandLovecraft Countrywould still have to be ad-free for a while after they initially launch, and HBO would only be able to tack ads onto HBO originals oracquired content from other platforms.
This might be inconvenient for WarnerMedia, however, as interest in these shows is so strong that the company recently had to reiterate that they were not selling ad space for any HBO programs. Despite these repeated clarifications, it seems media buyers are still hoping they will someday be able to get ads onto some of HBO’s very popular programming. For now though, the only ads HBO is considering are standard video ads in between their HBO Max content, which should hopefully be a more economical option for those streaming on a budget.
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