Status: expired. The 2025 Cyber Monday promotion offered 12 months of Max Basic with Ads for $36 upfront—an effective cost of $3 per month—but the reported deadline was the end of December 1, 2025. As of August 18, 2026, do not assume the offer is still available. Check Max’s official signup page for any replacement promotion.
What the 2025 deal offered
Engadget reported that Max, then commonly still referred to as HBO Max in deal coverage, offered eligible new and returning subscribers one year of its Basic with Ads plan for $36. The promotion was not a $3 monthly subscription: customers paid the full $36 for 12 months of access.
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The reported offer ended at the end of December 1, 2025. That makes it a historical deal rather than an active 2026 offer unless a live Max checkout page independently confirms that it has been extended or replaced.
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See the contemporaneous Engadget deal report for the original promotion details.
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- No returns and no refunds on gift cards. Good for use on the US Google Play Store only. Terms apply - see below.
- Google Play gift codes can be used on the Google Play Store, the official app store for Android, to purchase apps, games, and more.
- New finds, old favorites, one card. Choose a unique gift card design featuring your favorite games or apps. This card can also be used for anything else on Google Play. There’s something for everyone, so find what’s yours. Go Play.
- To redeem, enter code in the Play Store app or play.google.com.
- Easy to use: With a Google Play gift code, you never have to worry about expiration dates or fees.
How much money did it save?
| Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|
| Promotional payment | $36 for 12 months |
| Effective monthly cost | $3 |
| Reported monthly comparison | $11 × 12 = $132 |
| Dollar savings | $132 − $36 = $96 |
| Approximate savings rate | 72.7%, or about 73% |
The $132 figure reflects paying the reported $11 monthly price for a year. It should not be described as Max’s regular annual-plan price, because monthly billing and annual billing are different comparisons. Taxes may also have affected a customer’s final checkout total.
Which Max plan was included?
The promotion covered Basic with Ads, not the ad-free Standard or Premium plans. Max’s plan documentation describes the tier as offering:
- Two simultaneous streams.
- Full HD, or 1080p, resolution.
- Advertising before and during shows and movies.
Max says the ad-supported plan may include approximately four minutes of ads per hour, although live events can contain advertising on any plan. Basic with Ads does not include the standard offline-download benefit. Max’s plan comparison lists downloads for Standard and Premium, along with higher-end features reserved for Premium.
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- Watch over 40,000 full episodes on demand from hit series like Survivor, NCIS, Big Brother and more
- Get hooked on subscriber-only originals
- Make every night a movie night with blockbuster hits and fan-favorite films
- To Redeem: Go to paramountplus.com/redeem
- No returns and no refunds on gift cards.
What the deal did not include
- Ad-free viewing: Commercial interruptions could appear before and during programming.
- Downloads: The ad-supported tier did not list offline downloads, which matters for flights, commuting and travel.
- 4K or Dolby Atmos: Those features are associated with Premium where available.
- Month-to-month flexibility: The promotion required paying $36 upfront for the year.
For current advertising details, see Max’s advertising guidance. Current plan prices and features can change, so verify them at live checkout rather than relying on the historical deal’s comparison.
Who was eligible?
Engadget described the promotion as available to new and eligible returning subscribers. That wording does not establish that every former customer qualified, and it does not show that all existing subscribers could upgrade.
Eligibility was determined during signup. A customer could have seen different results depending on whether they were already subscribed, which company billed the account, or which signup channel they used. During a live promotion, check the offer while signed out and signed in, and read the checkout terms before paying.
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- Amazon.com Gift Cards never expire and carry no fees.
- Multiple gift card designs and denominations to choose from.
- Redeemable towards millions of items store-wide at Amazon.com or certain affiliated websites.
- Available for immediate delivery. Gift cards sent by email can be scheduled up to a year in advance.
- No returns and no refunds on Gift Cards.
Where could customers subscribe?
The reported routes were:
- Directly through Max at max.com.
- Through Prime Video Channels as an add-on for eligible Prime Video customers.
These routes are not interchangeable for billing purposes. A direct Max subscription is managed by Max, while a Prime Video Channels subscription is managed through Amazon. Plan availability, eligibility, promotional terms and cancellation instructions can differ. Max’s provider documentation confirms Prime Video Channels as a supported provider.
Renewal and cancellation warnings
A discounted year does not necessarily end automatically. Max subscriptions generally renew until canceled, but the exact renewal price for this particular promotion should have been stated in the original checkout terms. Do not assume it renewed at $11 or at any other specific amount without seeing those terms.
If you had claimed the deal, the safest steps were:
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- Unlimited movies, TV shows, and more. Watch anywhere. Cancel anytime.
- Give the gift of entertainment so your friends and family can stream unlimited films and Netflix original series. Whether your loved one already has a Netflix account or they will be creating a new account, they can use a Netflix gift card toward their membership.
- 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.
- Redemption: Online
- Record the subscription’s renewal date immediately after signup.
- Save the confirmation email and promotional terms.
- Check the account’s Subscription section to identify the billing provider.
- Cancel through that provider before renewal if you did not want another charge.
Deleting the Max app does not cancel a subscription. Customers billed by Max must cancel through Max; customers billed by Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Roku, a telecom company or another partner must use that provider’s subscription controls. Max generally allows access to continue through the end of the paid billing period after cancellation. See Max’s cancellation guidance.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was Basic with Ads worth choosing?
The deal made sense for:
- People who expected to watch Max regularly for most of the year.
- Households comfortable with advertising.
- Viewers satisfied with 1080p rather than 4K.
- Customers who did not need offline downloads.
- Eligible new or returning subscribers seeking the lowest annual cost.
A higher tier or a different deal was better for:
- Viewers who strongly prefer ad-free movies and shows.
- Travelers who need downloads.
- Households with 4K, Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos equipment.
- Customers who wanted month-to-month flexibility.
- People unlikely to watch enough Max content to justify paying upfront.
- Subscribers already receiving Max through a bundle or other membership benefit.
Max’s standard lineup generally places ad-free viewing and downloads on Standard, while Premium adds four simultaneous streams and higher-quality audio and video where supported. Exact current prices should be confirmed on the live Max checkout page.
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The $36 Cyber Monday offer should be treated as expired. Do not rely on an old deal article or landing-page link as proof that it remains purchasable. If you are shopping for Max now, compare the live direct plans at max.com with Max through Prime Video Channels.
Households that also want Disney+ and Hulu can review Max’s Disney+, Hulu and Max bundle. That may provide broader value, but it costs more than the historical standalone promotion and is a poor fit if you want only Max programming.
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.
