HBO Max vs. Peacock, Paramount+, and Hulu: Who Gives Streamers A Better Experience With Ads?
Ad-supported streaming services are a popular way to watch premium content at a lower price. Now, Disney+ is joining the ad-supported race. While we await pricing and details, we thought we’d look at some other popular services that offer a less expensive tier for viewers willing to sit through the occasional commercial.
While ad-supported plans have been a great way to save a little of money, is it worth it? We’ve compared the various services, how many ads to expect, and what features you might give up by not choosing the ad-free plans.
HBO Max vs. Peacock, Paramount+, and Hulu At A Glance
| Service | Price | Ads Per Hour | Simultaneous Streams | 4K Streaming | Offline Mode | Live Sports |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max | $9.99 | 4 min/hr (none during HBO programming) | 3 | No | No | No |
| Peacock | $4.99 (Free for Comcast & Cox Customers) | 5 min/hr | 3 | No | No | Premier League & WWE |
| Paramount Plus | $5.99 | 9-10 min/hr | 3 | No | No | NFL & Champions League |
| Hulu | $5.99 | 9-10 min/hr | 2 | Select shows & movies on certain devices | No | NHL & ESPN+ Upgrade |
Ads Per Hour
While it is the most expensive at $9.99 a month, HBO Max also has the fewest ads at just 4 minutes per hour. On certain content, there will be less than that, for instance HBO originals and movies won’t have any. Certain shows like Friends will only have two short ad-blocks in the middle.
Peacock, which is half the price of HBO Max, and free in many cases, only has five minutes per hour, which is nearly half that of Hulu and Paramount+.
Max
Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library, along with exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Thanks to the B/R Sports add-on, users can watch NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.
Number of Streams
Outside of Hulu which offers two simultaneous streams, HBO Max, Peacock, and Paramount+ each offer three simultaneous streams. Since they all offer user profiles, that means you will be able to share it with the whole family.
4K and Offline Mode
Currently, no ad-supported streaming service offers offline downloads. This feature has been held back for users on HBO Max Ad-Free ($14.99), Peacock Premium Plus ($9.99), Paramount+ No Ads ($9.99), and Hulu No Ads ($11.99).
Hulu is the only streaming service that includes 4K on select content on their ad-supported plan. While it’s only available on select content on HBO Max and Paramount+, that’s only available on their higher priced ad-free plan.
Hulu
Hulu is a video streaming service that gives access to thousands of full seasons of exclusive series, hit movies, kids shows, and Hulu Originals like “Only Murders in the Building,” and “The Handmaid’s Tale.”
Content
At $9.99 a month, HBO Max is the priciest of its competition but offers a vast library of WarnerMedia and HBO movies, shows, and HBO originals that you can’t find anywhere else.
This includes “Friends”, “The Big Bang Theory”, “South Park”, “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, “The West Wing”, and more, as well as fan-favorite HBO shows like “The Sopranos”, “The Wire”, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”, and more. As part of the ad-supported plan, you won’t get access to same day theatrical releases.
If you’re looking to stream the Star Trek Universe, Paramount+ has you covered with multiple original series like Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard. They also bring in content from across Viacom’s owned channels like MTV, VH1, BET, Comedy Central, and kids content on Nickelodeon.
Hulu has a mix of high-quality original series like “The Handmaid’s Tale”, movies like “Nomadland” and “Palm Springs”, and a library of shows and movies from networks like ABC, NBC, Fox, and cable channels like Bravo, USA Network, and FX.
Peacock has an ever changing library of movies and TV shows, but it is the exclusive streaming home to shows like “Yellowstone”, originals like the “Saved By The Bell” and “Punky Brewster” reboots, and the entire libraries of The Office, Parks and Recreation, Law & Order, and Chicago Fire.
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ is a subscription video streaming service that includes on-demand access to 40,000+ TV show episodes from BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Nick Jr. and more. The lineup includes “1883,” “Tulsa King,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” Nickelodeon’s “SpongeBob SquarePants,” and “PAW Patrol.” Subscribers can watch the NFL, college football, The Masters, college basketball, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa, Serie A, and NWSL. The service also offers the option to watch your live CBS affiliate. The upgraded ad-free package includes premium movies and shows from Showtime.
Live Sports
Regardless whether you are on an ad-supported or ad-free plan, some of the services offer live sports. Peacock includes Premier League matches that aren’t on TV, along with WWE Network including PPV events at no extra charge.
Starting in the fall, Hulu will stream select NHL games, and you can integrate your ESPN+ subscription for more live sports. Paramount+ has a wide variety of live sports including NFL, College Football & Basketball, Champions League, and PGA Tour Golf.
While Turner recently acquired NHL rights, which allow them to stream select games on HBO Max,they currently don't have plans to add it to the platform.
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Friends
September 22, 1994Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world, find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life.
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South Park
August 13, 1997This vulgar animated series follows the misadventures of four irreverent grade-schoolers in the quiet, dysfunctional town of South Park, Colorado.
“South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut” is a must-see movie if you enjoy this series. It shows off the musical inclinations that would later lead the creators to make “The Book of Mormon.” You’ll also enjoy the behind-the-scenes documentary, “6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park.”
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
September 10, 1990Will, a street-smart teenager, moves from the tough streets of West Philly to posh Bel-Air to live with his Uncle Philip, Aunt Vivian, his cousins — spoiled Hilary, preppy Carlton and young Ashley — and their sophisticated British butler, Geoffrey. Though Will’s antics and upbringing contrast greatly with the upper-class lifestyle of his extended relatives, he soon finds himself right at home as a loved part of the family.
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The Sopranos
January 10, 1999The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony’s family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.
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The Wire
June 2, 2002Told from the points of view of both the Baltimore homicide and narcotics detectives and their targets, the series captures a universe in which the national war on drugs has become a permanent, self-sustaining bureaucracy, and distinctions between good and evil are routinely obliterated.
This brilliant series is routinely cited as the best TV show ever made. (Entertainment Weekly, The BBC, The Telegraph, The Guardian, and Salon.com have all ranked it #1.) It is the closest thing we have to a novel on television. Sprawling narratives, unforgettable characters, and jaw-dropping plot twists combine into something remarkable, unique, and definitively American. From the police to the drug dealers to the junkies to blue-collar workers to politicians to journalists to elementary students, all the pieces matter.
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Curb Your Enthusiasm
October 15, 2000The off-kilter, unscripted comic vision of Larry David, who plays himself in a parallel universe in which he can’t seem to do anything right, and, by his standards, neither can anyone else.
There’s also plenty of fresh, original content, including scripted series, reunion specials, documentaries, and more. Recent titles of note include “Friends: The Reunion”, “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion Special”, “The Flight Attendant”, and “Beartown.”
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Friends: The Reunion
May 27, 2021The cast of Friends reunites for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration of the hit series, an unforgettable evening filled with iconic memories, uncontrollable laughter, happy tears, and special guests.
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The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion
November 18, 2020Join Will Smith, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro and DJ Jazzy Jeff, for a funny and heartfelt night full of music and dancing in honor of the show that ran for six seasons and 148 episodes.
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The Flight Attendant
November 26, 2020Flight attendant Cassandra Bowden wakes in her hotel room hungover from the night before in Dubai with a dead body lying next to her. Afraid to call the police, she continues her morning as if nothing happened. In New York, she is met by FBI agents who question her about her recent layover in Bangkok. Still unable to piece the night together, she begins to wonder if she could be the killer.
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Beartown
October 18, 2020Hockey is the last beacon of hope for the citizens of Björnstad, so when its junior hockey team makes the national semifinal, the burden of the entire town’s dreams weigh heavily on the shoulders of its teenage superstars. However, the day of the semi-final is also the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatised and the town in turmoil.
