Experiences refined for people
In the ruthless streaming wars, Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max is playing its cards like a true Targaryen, eyeing Netflix’s iron throne with a fierce ambition—and an arsenal of hit shows that could make even Logan Roy sweat.
Once the king of prestige TV, HBO’s streaming evolution—now Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max—is closing in on Netflix’s market share as the second-fastest growing streaming platform. With exclusive originals, blockbusters, and classics like Friends and Harry Potter, it offers advertisers prime placement alongside sought-after content.
Now’s the time for brands to see if Max fits their marketing strategy.
Discover the strategic advantages of advertising on Max and how it places your brand alongside premium content for today’s most discerning viewer.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max (formerly HBO Max) offers advertisers unique opportunities to connect with a highly engaged, diverse audience through a variety of targeted ad formats, including in-show sponsorships, interactive ads, and custom content integrations within the Max streaming platform.
After launching ad-free in 2020, Max introduced ads a year later. Due to legacy cable contracts, HBO originals and legacy content remained ad-free. Since the 2022 WarnerMedia-Discovery merger, ads have spread across all content on Max.
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Max’s ad-supported tier now spans over 40 countries, with key expansions slated for 2025 as distribution deals with UK partner Sky Studios expire in the UK, Italy, and Germany in 2026.
Although Netflix still dominates consumer attention, Max is creeping up, now second only to Peacock in viewing time, with a projected 12% rise in 2024.
This growth cements Max as a formidable contender and an appealing platform for advertisers targeting a steadily expanding, highly engaged audience.
In streaming, where ads, pop-ups, and unskippable pre-rolls invade every digital corner, Max offers an “ad-lite” experience: just 2.7 minutes of ads per program, trimming the industry’s average by 31.7%.
By dialing back the ad load, Max’s “ad-lite” experience is courting viewers and advertisers. Fewer ads keep eyes on screens longer, delivering advertisers a more attentive audience and keeping the revenue engine humming. Advertisers gain a premium position, resembling sponsored content rather than traditional, disruptive ads.
Warner Bros. Discovery’s JB Perrette assures advertisers that Max has cracked the formula:
“What has remained consistent about it through all of its [Max’s ad tier] iterations is the emphasis on really preserving an ultra-premium user experience with really unique ad executions…and understanding that the viability of the platform is really predicated on the cultural relevance and premium nature of the content…The service averages just four minutes of commercial time per hour. There’s a reason we call it ad-lite.”
JB Perrette
President & CEO
Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming & Games
Max’s audience is projected to hit 24.6 million by 2024 and soar to 31.8 million by 2028. With a median viewer age of 39—the youngest for Warner Bros. Discovery’s portfolio—Max reaches the elusive sweet spot: budget-conscious, ad-tolerant viewers, many of whom are embracing ad-supported video-on-demand (AVOD) streaming for the value it offers.
Ad-supported viewers not only sit through the ads but do so with surprising attentiveness, with 92% reporting engagement while streaming content.
Max is quietly stepping up as a cultural ambassador, with 40% of its ad-supported subscribers identifying as multicultural. For advertisers, this means a platform with direct access to African American, Hispanic, and Asian American audiences–groups who prefer streaming and are actively reshaping it.
Max’s audience leans into ad-supported models with culturally resonant content, aligning with the broader AVOD shift. Viewers want more than streaming; they want a platform that reflects who they are.
Max offers a variety of ad formats designed to engage audiences unobtrusively and align with brand objectives.
Here’s a breakdown of formats optimized for goals from brand awareness to direct conversions, helping brands choose the best fit:
These ad types are built for brands that want high visibility right where viewers are most likely to remember them.
Brand Takeover & Daily Takeovers
Takeover ads have top billing, showing up as the first ad viewers see daily. They’re ideal for brands seeking top-of-mind awareness with prime slots for maximum exposure.
Goal: High Visibility
InFront
InFront sponsors an ad-free viewing experience by removing mid-roll interruptions. They’re perfect for luxury or premium brands aiming for a seamless, uninterrupted placement.
Goal: Positive Brand Perception
Brand Block
Brand Block fills every ad slot within a program with a single brand’s ads, ideal for campaigns like product launches that need high recall by delivering a steady, consistent message to viewers.
Goal: Exclusive Brand Recall
These ads encourage viewers to interact directly with ads. Interactivity has many benefits, including increased engagement among viewers, and helps brands stand out with a more dynamic viewing experience.
Interactive Ads
These ads are all about viewer participation, with features like:
Goal: Viewer Engagement
Trivia & Poll Ads
These ads make viewers part of the experience by prompting them with questions or offering polls.
Goal: Increased Interaction
Viewer’s Choice Ads
With Viewer’s Choice Ads, viewers select the ad they’re most interested in, increasing relevance and conversion potential.
Goal: Personalized Engagement
These formats encourage viewers to take a clear action–be it a purchase, sign-up, or reaching out for more information.
Shoppable Ads
Perfect for retail and e-commerce, Shoppable Ads allow viewers to make purchases right within the content.
Goal: Direct Sales
Click-to-Contact
Click-to-contact ads offer a one-click call to action for viewers to sign up or request information, which is ideal for brands aiming for immediate customer engagement.
Goal: Lead Generation
Advanced Contextual Targeting
Advanced Contextual Targeting uses AI to match ad messaging with the content’s tone and context, creating a timely and relevant ad experience.
Goal: Relevance & Brand Safety
“At Warner Bros. Discovery, we drive results for our brand partners to achieve measurable increases in consumer spending, brand awareness, and positive brand perception, and today, we’re introducing new ad products to further enhance that offering. Through these innovations, we can align brand messages with relevant on-screen moments and increase the connection between brand awareness and consumer action, as well as create an enjoyable ad experience for our viewers.”
Define and segment your audience to sharpen your campaign’s reach. Your messaging, ad format, and budget hinge on this.
Pull insights from your CRM, website analytics, and social media to pinpoint demographics, behaviors, and preferences.
If you have the data, segment your audience based on peak viewing times, favorite genres, and their interactions with shoppable or interactive ads across platforms. This is where data maturity pays off. The more data you have, the easier it is to identify the right audience and spend your budget where it counts.
With smart segmentation in place, craft ad creative(s) tailored to each audience slice. Personalization is key; aim for content that speaks directly to each segment’s unique interests and behaviors.
For example, if a segment prefers thrillers or documentaries, tailor your ad creative to Max’s thriller offerings. Using emotional drivers connects with Max’s advanced targeting, aligning your ads with themes that resonate with viewers.
As Ryan Gould, Head of Max’s Digital Ad Sales, suggests, “Brand messages must always be super-endemic and aligned to the audience watching the show.”
Max provides multiple ad formats, from standard video ads to interactive shoppable units and pause ads. Pick a format that fits your audience’s habits and your campaign goals.
How does Warner Bros Discovery add ads to HBO without compromising its cultural prestige?
“The easy thing for us to do as a company would be to have consistently high ad loads and sell into these assets with multiple creatives that break every seven to 12 minutes. We don’t believe that’s a long-term, viable option for IP that, quite frankly, drives culture. HBO IP has driven culture for 40 years and we want to make sure when we introduce brands into that ecosystem that we drive culture for 40 years longer.”
Ryan Gould
Head of Streaming, Digital & Advanced Advertising Sales
Warner Bros. Discovery Streaming & Games
From The Penguin’s Bourbon Deal Spikes HBO’s Brand-Friendly Punch On Max
When setting up a campaign on Discovery’s Max, you have two main options. You can fill out an advertising inquiry form to contact Warner Bros. Discovery’s ad sales team.
Or, if you want to run a multi-platform campaign, partner with an agency. An agency like KORTX can handle everything from account setup to multi-platform strategy, covering Hulu, Netflix, and Max. They’ll also bring in specialized tools like KORTX’s Proven Publisher list. This list is critical to placing your ads on high-quality, trusted content, boosting reach and credibility.
Why should brands work with agencies for Discovery (HBO) Max advertising?
“With an agency like KORTX, you’ll tap into our Proven Publishers list, meaning you’re not just reaching audiences on Max but also on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, and beyond. Since most viewers are hopping between services, this opens up more chances to connect with more people. In short, you get large-scale ad operations at a better price.”
Gunnar Eisenmenger
Sr. Account Manager, KORTX
Max’s audience is diverse and dynamic, your strategy should be too. Develop a plan to re-engage viewers based on past interactions, seasonal trends, or fresh releases. With consistent, relevant messaging across campaigns, you keep your brand visible and deepen connections with your target audience over time.
HBO Max introduced an ad-supported tier in 2021 (under Discovery’s WarnerMedia) and renewed its commitment to ad-supported streaming in early 2023. Discovery launched this tier to broaden the service’s reach by appealing to cost-conscious viewers who seek more affordable streaming options.
Yes. Max offers live MLB, NBA, and NHL games through its B/R Sports Add-On and most NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament games, as well as select US Soccer matches featuring the USMNT and USWNT.
Discovery’s Max keeps its ad load light, with about 4 minutes of ads per hour on the With Ads plan. When an ad break begins, the number of ads in the break is shown on-screen, along with a countdown timer indicating when the break will end.
For kids and family content, ad breaks include bumpers to signal when they start and finish, helping younger viewers understand transitions. Additionally, users can pause to view ad break placements on the progress bar.
The ad count varies for live sports on B/R Sports, with commercials matching those aired on TBS, TNT, or truTV during the broadcast event.
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No, viewers on HBO Max can’t skip ads during playback, which provides total exposure for brands. For an uninterrupted experience, they can switch to the Ad-Free or Ultimate Ad-Free plans, but live sports will still have ads regardless of the subscription.
The cost of advertising on HBO Max can vary widely based on several key factors:
Yes, viewers might see a brand repeatedly when watching a series, a long movie, or similar genres like comedy. Brands can also sponsor specific shows or movies, meaning you’ll often see the same ad at the start of each episode. Currently, streaming platforms don’t have frequency controls for ad targeting.
Are there alternatives to reaching HBO/Discovery Max users?
“There are some solid alternatives to reach audiences similar to HBO Max. Platforms like Hulu, Peacock, and Netflix now have ad-supported tiers that give access to diverse, highly engaged viewers. Hulu offers detailed demographic targeting, while Peacock places ads right within NBC Universal content, which creates a strong brand environment.
On top of that, free ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) options like Tubi, Pluto TV, and The Roku Channel offer budget-friendly ways to reach wide audiences, including multicultural and younger viewers. These alternatives let advertisers expand their reach, target more precisely, and keep brand messaging consistent across platforms.”
Gunnar Eisenmenger
Sr. Account Manager, KORTX
With high-quality, culturally resonant content and an ad-lite approach, Max creates prime conditions for brands aiming for real engagement over a broad reach. Its unique audience—young, multicultural, and open to ads—offers a rare chance for brands to connect with elusive consumer segments on their terms.
For advertisers, Max captures viewers at a tipping point in streaming, where the balance between content quality and affordability matters. Investing in Max now could place brands front and center in the next big chapter of streaming.
Kate Meda is a Copywriter at KORTX. She enjoys omitting needless words and making things sound good.
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