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In the U.S. in February 2024, the ad-supported streaming plan cost $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year. It included HBO programming and the wider Max catalog, streamed at up to 1080p, allowed two simultaneous streams and included 5.1 surround sound—but it had ads and no offline downloads. The service had been renamed Max in the U.S. in May 2023, so the plan’s name at the time was Max With Ads, not HBO Max with Ads. These are historical February 2024 details, not a statement of today’s price or plan lineup.
Quick answer (U.S., February 2024): Max With Ads cost $9.99 monthly or $99.99 annually. It offered up to 1080p video, two simultaneous streams and 5.1 surround sound, with no downloads. Max estimated about four minutes of ads per hour, though ad timing and total could vary. It was best suited to viewers who wanted the full core catalog at a lower price and were comfortable watching at home with interruptions.
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The service was called Max in the United States from its launch on May 23, 2023; some markets continued to use, or later returned to, the HBO Max name. This article uses “HBO Max with Ads” because that is a common search term, but its plan details below refer specifically to the U.S. Max offering in February 2024. Warner Bros. Discovery’s launch announcement identifies the service and its launch-era tiers.
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| Billing option | Price | Effective monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly | $9.99 per month | $9.99 |
| Annual | $99.99 per year | About $8.33 |
Paying annually cost $19.89 less than 12 monthly payments of $9.99—about 16.6% savings before tax. Applicable taxes could be extra. These were direct U.S. plan prices; a promotion, existing subscription, app store, cable or telecom provider could affect what a particular customer was offered or how billing worked.
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Date matters: Do not use these figures as current 2026 prices. Plan names, prices, included features and sports access can change, and differ by country and billing provider. The official U.S. support page now surfaces names such as Basic with Ads, Standard and Premium, but its information is not enough to verify a live price for a particular signup. Check the checkout page for your country and billing channel before subscribing: Max’s U.S. plan and subscription help.
What were the ads like?
Max’s support documentation puts the ad load at about four minutes per hour for the ad-supported plan. Ads could play before a show or movie and during it; the playback bar indicated where breaks were scheduled. Ordinary commercial ads could not be skipped or fast-forwarded. Promotional trailers for other Max programs are different and may have a skip option. The actual number and placement of ads could vary by program, length, category, sponsorship and format, so four minutes is an estimate—not a guarantee for every title.
Live events are a separate case: they may include advertising regardless of plan. Max’s ad and playback help page explains the approximate load, placements and distinction between commercials and program promotions.
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Yes. In the U.S., HBO programming was part of the Max catalog; subscribing to the ad-supported tier did not mean getting an HBO-only or deliberately stripped-down “lite” library. Max brought together HBO, Max Originals, selected Warner Bros. films, DC, kids’ programming and content associated with brands such as Discovery, Cartoon Network and Adult Swim. The catalog also included reality, lifestyle, food, home and documentary programming.
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That does not mean every title from those brands was always available. Streaming rights, regional licensing and catalog rotation affect what viewers can watch, and availability can change. A streaming catalog is also not the same thing as a live HBO cable-channel package. See Max’s catalog overview and Max’s service and device help.
February 2024 U.S. plan comparison
| Launch-era plan | Monthly price | Max resolution | Simultaneous streams | Downloads | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max With Ads | $9.99 | Up to 1080p | 2 | None | 5.1 surround |
| Max Ad Free | $15.99 | Up to 1080p | 2 | 30 | 5.1 surround |
| Max Ultimate Ad Free | $19.99 | Up to 4K UHD | 4 | 100 | Dolby Atmos |
These are historical U.S. plan names and specifications for February 2024, not current worldwide offers. Download limits and title eligibility applied to the ad-free tiers.
The ad tier’s 1080p ceiling meant no 4K UHD access; the top tier was the one that included 4K, and premium audio features such as Dolby Atmos. “Up to 1080p” is a maximum, not a promise that every program will stream at that resolution. Title availability, device and browser capability, connection quality, delivery conditions and TV setup can all affect the picture. A 4K screen alone does not raise the plan’s limit.
Two simultaneous streams means two plays at once, not necessarily two account users: profiles, household and account rules, and provider terms are separate. It generally worked for one viewer or a small household, but could be a constraint if three people wanted different programs at once.
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The biggest practical limitation: no downloads
Max With Ads did not include offline downloads in February 2024. That makes the plan a weaker fit for flights, road trips, hotel stays, expensive mobile data or unreliable broadband. It can also matter to parents who want to save a program for children to watch away from home Wi-Fi. The two ad-free tiers offered 30 and 100 downloads respectively at launch, subject to limits and title restrictions.
Is Max With Ads worth choosing?
The February 2024 price difference between Max With Ads ($9.99) and Max Ad Free ($15.99) was $6 a month. The lower tier made sense if saving that amount mattered more than uninterrupted viewing, 1080p was enough, no one needed offline viewing and no more than two streams were needed at once.
- Consider the ad plan if you mostly watch at home, stream occasionally or mainly watch episodic programs, and can tolerate commercial breaks.
- Consider an ad-free tier if interruptions bother you, you travel or need downloads, or you want the option to watch offline. In 2024, the standard ad-free tier added downloads but did not raise the 1080p ceiling.
- Consider the top ad-free tier if you wanted access to available 4K UHD titles, Dolby Atmos, more downloads or four simultaneous streams—and your devices and connection supported those features.
For documentary viewers, the choice is not a smaller documentary catalog versus a larger one: the ad-supported plan included the core Max catalog, subject to the same changing rights and availability caveats. The decision is mainly about how often you watch and whether ads, no downloads, a two-stream limit or the 1080p ceiling will get in the way.
Devices, signup and provider billing
Max was available through apps and services for phones and tablets, computers, smart TVs, streaming players, set-top boxes and game consoles. Support depended on device generation, operating system, app version and region. Features are not identical on every device: check the official supported-device information before relying on an older TV or streaming box.
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- No credit card is required to redeem a gift code.
- Codes are applied to your account as a gift balance. Gift codes can be added to any plan, regardless of the amount.
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In general, customers could sign up through Max or an authorized app-store or provider channel, choose an available plan, create or sign in to an account, and install or update the app on supported devices. Billing routes included channels such as Apple, Google Play, Roku, Samsung, Amazon-related services, Xfinity and Cox, among others. Availability and terms could vary. Do not assume an HBO cable subscription automatically includes Max; eligibility depended on the provider and package, so check the provider’s entitlement and activation instructions.
There was no universal free-trial offer established for every direct signup. Any trial or discount should be treated as specific to a provider, customer or promotion and checked at enrollment.
Checking, changing or canceling a subscription
First identify who bills you. A direct Max subscriber generally manages the plan through Max; someone billed by Apple, Google Play, Roku, Amazon, Xfinity, Cox or another partner may need to change or cancel through that provider. This is why a plan-change option may not appear inside Max. Provider rules can also affect upgrades, promotions and when a replacement subscription can begin. Max notes that plan changes may be unavailable outside the country where a subscription began.
For the current Max interface, its U.S. help page says to select the profile and then Subscription on a phone, tablet or computer; on a TV device, open Settings and then Subscription. Only Adult profiles can manage subscriptions. Labels can change, and a third-party biller may redirect you to its own account controls. Review Max’s subscription help and your billing statement before canceling or subscribing again, to avoid duplicate charges.
What to verify before subscribing now
The prices and feature table above answer what the U.S. ad-supported plan offered in February 2024. They should not be used to choose a plan in 2026 without checking the current offer. Confirm the live price and tier name for your country, whether your provider already includes access, the number of streams and download rules, and which video and audio features your device can play. If you are billed through a partner, verify its cancellation and upgrade process before changing plans.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
