HBO Max parent company AT&T today unveiled plans to introduce a more affordable version of HBO Max that will include ads to drive the cost down.
A full ad-free HBO Max subscription is priced at $14.99 per month, and it's not yet clear what the price of the ad-supported version will be.
In addition to including ads, the ad-supported version of HBO Max will not include Warner Bros. theatrical releases. Earlier this year, AT&T said that all Warner Bros. movies in 2021 would debut on HBO Max and theaters at the same time.
HBO Max subscribers will get access to titles like "The Matrix 4," "Dune," "In the Heights," "The Suicide Squad," and more on the same day that those films premiere in theaters.
All other HBO Max content, including HBO Max Originals, will be included in the ad-supported tier. HBO Max Original TV shows will not have ads, but ads will be included for other kinds of content.
AT&T expects to have between 120 and 150 million HBO Max and HBO subscribers by the end of 2025. By the end of 2021, AT&T expects to have between 67 and 70 million subscribers worldwide, up from 61 million at the end of 2020.
AT&T plans to make the ad-supported version of HBO Max available sometime in June.
