HBO makes 'Last Week Tonight with John Oliver' S01 free
What's the story
In an unexpected but welcome move, HBO has made the entire first season of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver available on YouTube at no cost.
This announcement was made via X.
The post stated, "There's no new episode this week! But we still have current events. From 10 years ago. This Sunday we'll be dropping all of season 1 for free on YouTube!"
The late-night talk show has been running since April 2014.
Upcoming releases
Episodes from Seasons 2-8 to come on YT soon
The social media post also hinted at the release of future seasons, stating, "Seasons 2-8 to come, whenever we don't have a new episode. Trust us, some of this is still completely relevant. Some."
Notably, previously, episodes were uploaded on YouTube the day after their original airing.
However, starting with Season 11, HBO has decided to delay its release on social media platforms.
Host's reaction
Oliver shared his views on this change earlier
Oliver, the tour-de-force behind the show, shared his views on this change earlier this year.
He stated on X, "HBO has decided they're going to wait until Thursday to post them to YouTube from now on."
"I hope they change their mind, but until then, you can see our piece about the Supreme Court on HBO, on MAX, and on YouTube in a few days."
Strategic move
HBO is trying to increase viewership on its streaming service
This decision is part of HBO's strategy to increase viewership on its streaming service, Max.
An HBO spokesperson explained, "When Last Week Tonight with John Oliver premiered on HBO, the convenience of watching on Max did not exist so YouTube allowed flexible viewing for the main story as well as promotional exposure."
"We are now delaying that availability and hope those fans choose to watch the entire show on Max."
Show
Know more about the popular show
The show, which has spawned 11 seasons so far, has reportedly released 299 episodes.
Some of the topics discussed on-air include maternity leave, televangelism, LGBTQ+ rights in the US, Voter ID laws in the United States, and Donald Trump's Presidential campaign in 2016, among others.
It has reportedly been nominated for 61 Emmy Awards, winning 28 of them.
In India, it is streaming on JioCinema.