Max ups the number of ads per hour in effort to increase revenue
Max ups the number of ads per hour in effort to increase revenue
The streamer now says it will offer around six minutes of commercials per hour of content.
Just how much closer to linear TV is streaming going to get? Viewers might well be asking themselves that question these days, as streaming services increase their prices and launch advertising tiers that align the two TV watching experiences more closely. Customers of Max’s ad plan may see a new reason for annoyance, as the streamer has quietly increased the number of ads per hour it shows with its content.
Key Details:
- Two extra minutes: Max is boosting the number of ads per hour it shows from four minutes to six.
- Recent change: The switchover took place sometime around February.
- Not the only one: Prime Video also increased its ads per hour recently.
The help center page for Max now says that the streamer’s ad-supported plan comes with around six minutes of ads per hour. PC World first noted that, as recently as February, the same page stated that viewers could expect to see around four minutes of commercials per hour of content.
My own tests of the streamer in March confirmed the increase, as I saw that Max had around three minutes of ads per half-hour show and around six minutes for hour-long titles. I didn’t find the ad experience to be too onerous on Max with that amount, but other customers will no doubt argue that Max should have at least warned users that a jump in ads per hour was coming.
Why has Max increased the number of commercials per hour it shows? The answer is relatively simple: the streamer needs to be pulling in more revenue. That need becomes all the more acute in light of recent news that Max’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, is splitting from one company into two, with Max to be a centerpiece of the new Streaming & Studios segment. Max (which will return to its previous name of HBO Max) will have to pull quite a bit of weight once it’s separated from WBD cable channels, which are declining but still produce a healthy chunk of revenue. The Streamable has reached out to WBD for comment on the ad increase and will update this article when we receive a reply.
Max is not the only streamer to have increased its ad load in recent months. Amazon’s streamer Prime Video has been informing advertising partners that it will be increasing the number of commercials it shows as well. Streamers see advertising as a key revenue channel, and the trend of increasing ad loads will likely continue to spread to other services.
What do you think about the decision to boost the number of ads per hour seen on Max? Tell us about your experience with the streamer in the comments below, and let us know if you plan to keep your subscription after learning about the change.
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