HBO Max's previously proposed cheaper, ad-supported tier will indeed become a reality in June. According to a release (via The Verge), in addition to the newly announced target release date, major details also include the insight that unlike full-price subscribers, ad-supported customers will be unable to access same-day theatrical releases.
After Warner Bros.'s surprising and seismic announcement back in December that its entire theatrical line-up would debut on HBO Max, this is an interesting wrinkle to its plans--especially as, knock on wood, major theatrical markets in New York and Los Angeles are winding their way to re-open with restrictions. Earlier this month, WarnerMedia CEO Jason Kilar recently noted that the movie industry is still in "experimentation mode" on theatrical windows, and that "most people on this planet are not wealthy," so multiple venues to catch new releases should no longer be viewed as a threat to the previous one-size-fits-all dynamic favoring theaters.
You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.
Click To Unmute
Tears Of The Kingdom Is A Technological Marvel
Resident Evil 4 Is A Perfect RemakeHow Alan Wake II Made Me Face My Fear of Horror GamesGameSpot's Top 10 Games of 2023Thompson: The Pop Culture Icon’s Strange Legacy - LoadoutFirearms Expert’s FAVORITE Weapons Of 2023State Of Gaming Handhelds In 2023Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Ichiban Kasuga Character Spotlight TrailerHow Lies of P Cracked the Souls GenreLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Chitose Fujinomiya Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Eric Tomizawa Character Spotlight TrailerLike a Dragon: Infinite Wealth - Official Kazuma Kiryu Character Spotlight Trailer
Share
LinkEmbed
Size:640 × 360480 × 270
Start at: End at: Autoplay Loop
Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?
Sign up or Sign in now!
Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.
This video has an invalid file format.
00:00:00
HTML5
Auto HD High Low
Report a problem
Sorry, but you can't access this content!
By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's
Terms of Use and Privacy Policy
enter
Now Playing: Dune Trailer (2020) Breakdown - Lore Explained & Everything You Missed
Still, major studios are making no secret that they are betting on streaming services. According to Variety, AT&T has substantially raised subscriber targets for HBO and HBO Max through 2025 to between 120 and 150 million, up from the 75 to 90 million previously projected in the fall of 2019. There has been tons of discussion and predictions about what "going back to normal" after COVID-19 means, and it's increasingly clear that the pandemic has made many impacts on our relationship with consuming content.
With this new ad-supported tier, which AT&T didn't yet specify the cost for, bets are being placed on whether, specifically for HBO Max, audiences will be interested in checking out the service without access to new releases coming later this year like James Gunn's Suicide Squad (August 6), Dune (October 1), or Matrix 4 (December 22).
David Wolinsky on Google+