Max-With-Ads Subscription Now Included for DoorDash’s DashPass Customers (EXCLUSIVE)
Food and grocery delivery platform DoorDash has launched a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to offer a Max subscription to its DashPass annual plan customers.
Beginning Tuesday, the Max With Ads tier (currently priced at $9.99 per month or $99.99 annually) of the streaming service comes included with a DashPass annual plan membership ($96 per year) in the U.S. at no additional cost.
More from Variety
Cartoon Network Website Shuts Down, Warner Bros. Discovery Kicks Visitors Over to Max
Warner Bros. Discovery Takes $9.1 Billion Balance-Sheet Hit for Massive Drop in TV Network Values
If DashPass customers are interested in the ad-free tier of Max (which costs $16.99/month or $169.99/annually) instead, they can upgrade to that version of the subscription at a discounted rate of $10.99 per month.
Max streams shows and movies from across the HBO, Warner Bros., A24, Adult Swim, ID and DC Universe libraries, including “House of the Dragon,” “The White Lotus,” “Friends,” “Godzilla x Kong” and “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga,” as well as upcoming series “The Penguin” (debuting in September) and “Dune: Prophecy” (November).
DoorDash’s DashPass offers customers “exclusive deals, members-only benefits, and $0 delivery fees and reduced service fees on eligible orders from thousands of restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers.”
The teamup with Max marks the first benefit of its kind offered by DoorDash, but is similar to the deals between Walmart and Paramount+, and Instacart and Peacock to provide free access to a streamer through membership in an ecommerce subscription program.
“I think a lot of it is really thinking about, what do we see in terms of what our customers want, and thinking about the overlap between the different services,” DoorDash chief marketing officer Kofi Amoo-Gottfried told Variety. “So I think for Max, we felt it had a really strong catalog for both families and adults. And if you really think about the base of who makes up the DashPass audience, we felt the titles and the IP and the things that existed on Max would allow us to speak to that audience in a way that would really resonate. A lot of it is really about understanding who that customer is and what we think is going to appeal to them.”
According to Amoo-Gottfried, DashPass and Wolt+ (DoorDash acquired Helsinki-based Wolt) boasts approximately 18 million members, and DashPass has saved customers roughly $10 billion since its launch six years ago. In its Q2 earnings report last week, Warner Bros. Discovery revealed it now has a combined 103.3 million global subscribers across Max, HBO and its Discovery+ streamer.
Amoo-Gottfried and the DoorDash team have planned several upcoming cross-promotions with Max tied to its programming, including campaigns tied to HBO’s “House of the Dragon,” which recently wrapped its second season, and the upcoming DC show “The Penguin.”
“Max’s partnership with DoorDash provides an exciting, complementary pairing of services with a great value for consumers,” Warner Bros. Discovery direct-to-consumer global chief marketing officer Pato Spagnoletto said. “We are thrilled to roll out this offering and introduce a world of exclusive and iconic stories to DashPass members.”
DoorDash president and chief operating officer Prabir Adarkar added: “Since launching DashPass six years ago, our goal has always been to deliver increasing value and savings to members. Streaming and delivery go hand in hand, and we’re thrilled to launch a coveted benefit for DashPass Annual Plan members.”
VIP+ Analysis: Why Verizon’s Recent Moves Could Make It the Netflix of Streaming Bundlers
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety’s Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.