topic Re: Adverts on HBO Max in TV

Adverts on HBO Max

paulcollard1 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:33:50 GMT

I have the EE TV package with an EE box and TNT Sports Premium including Ultimate. When on Discovery the highlight clips of football matches could be accessed advert free as it was a premium package. Now on HBO Max you have only negotiated a basic package which means there are adverts to trawl through before accessing these highlight clips and I regard this as a downgrade of my TV package half way through my 24 month contract which you haven't informed me about. What can you do about this?

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

Minkey1 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 19:46:13 GMT

@paulcollard1

You didn’t have HBO Max when you contacted.

HBOM with ads has just been added free of charge.

Don’t like it? Don’t use it 🤷🏼

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

zulu17 — Fri, 27 Mar 2026 21:23:41 GMT

As far as I am aware TNT Sports content on HBO Max is the same as TNT Sports content previously supplied to discovery + and is not directly related to any other HBO subscription for other content you may have , ie the TNT Sports content would be the same irrespective as to whether you have HBO Max Basic/Standard/premium or indeed no other HBO Max subscription.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

DarrenDev — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 10:52:24 GMT

@paulcollard1 there's no such thing as a "Sport with ads" subscription - TNT Sports content shouldn't be showing any ads.

Could you please give an example of a specific video you're watching that is forcing an advert? Also confirm what device you're using to watch it?

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

zulu17 — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 11:27:15 GMT

HI @DarrenDev I suspect @paulcollard1 is referring to to the Items like the 3 minute football Premier League highlights which seem on HBO Max app on Box Pro and iPad etc to have between zero , one or two (Ten second) ads playing .

iPad example of content in image

iPad HBO Max app 28March26

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

DarrenDev — Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:18:42 GMT

Thanks @zulu17 - I stand corrected. The HBO announcement does specifically state the following:

Channels, live events and replays (where included in your plan) and all sports contain ads. All plans may include sponsorship and Cross-Promotional Content.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

Steweylewey — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:28:39 GMT

I have TNT Sports as an included add-on on a mobile contract.

I am pretty sure there were no adverts on Discovery+, but there are on HBO Max.

I too consider this a downgrade and I want it sorted ASAP.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

paulcollard1 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 10:41:30 GMT

Thanks Steweylewey for confirming the same experience as I'm having. The HBO announcement isn't a solution, it just confirms the ads are there. The point is we didn't have ads preceding highlight sports clips when TNT was on Discovery+ in the Premium package and the service has changed to be ad supported on HBO Max, because the contract with HBO Max is for the basic package, not the ad free Premium package. This is a downgrade of the TNT package Im getting mid way through my contract.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

Matt_124 — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 13:04:23 GMT

@Steweylewey

As you have this as an Inclusive Extra on a mobile plan, your issue is not the same as those committed to an EE TV Package. Please see the below extract from the T&Cs.

"We may at any time change the range of Inclusive Extras available, the content of Inclusive Extras or the minimum length of time each must be active for. We will try to notify active users of the affected Inclusive Extra if we do this but are not obliged to."

https://ee.co.uk/help/terms-and-conditions/add-ons/inclusive-extras

EE can make changes at any time to the offered Inclusive Extras, including removal of them. There is no contract clause against a "downgrade" and EE has no obligation to "sort" anything in this case.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

zulu17 — Wed, 01 Apr 2026 12:29:24 GMT

I don't think the issue that HBO Max is streaming adds ahead of its sports content including its short 3 mins typical football highlights is related to any EE action but rather it is being applied to all customers . They are adopting a different approach to how discovery+ were operating. It is also very difficult for customer to raise issue with HBO Max as their AI driven website seems to reroute you around in circles (or figures of eight) and is a very frustrating experience.

Whilst HBO Max may be entitled to broadcast adds the volume/duration of adds relative to provided content is where currently the balance does not seem appropriate. It would be good to provide feedback to them and for them to adopt a more commonsense approach that doesn't alienate viewers.

Streaming of live channels and the replays of those live broadcasts would typically have had adverts embedded and programme sponsorship announcements are commonplace. Streaming arbitrary adverts ahead of the sport programming streaming was not previously typically. I wonder whether these are considered HBO adverts rather than TNT Sports adverts.

Re: Adverts on HBO Max

stannoo — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:28:47 GMT

I just launched TNT on HBO and was forced to watch 8 (eight) ads before the actual stream started. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE!