HBO delays posting ‘Last Week Tonight With John Oliver’ clips to YouTube. Here's why

HBO has put an end to the practice of offering next-day glimpses of the popular comedy talk show "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" for free.

Starting with the Season 11 premiere on Feb. 18, HBO stopped uploading the full episode and segments from "Last Week Tonight" to the show's YouTube channel the day after they aired. The rationale? The network, now owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, aims to incentivize viewers to subscribe to Max, with subscription plans starting at $9.99 per month for the ad-supported version.

John Oliver himself shared the news with his followers in a tweet on Feb. 19. "I usually share our main story link here on Mondays, but HBO has decided to delay posting them on YouTube until Thursday from now on," he wrote. "I hope they reconsider, but for now, catch our Supreme Court piece on HBO, on MAX, and on YouTube in a few days."


A spokesperson for HBO confirmed that moving forward, clips from "Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" will not be uploaded to YouTube until four days after the original airing on HBO and Max.

"When 'Last Week Tonight With John Oliver' first premiered on HBO, the option to watch on Max was not available, so YouTube served as a convenient platform for viewing the main story as well as providing promotional exposure," the HBO representative explained in a statement to Variety. "Now, we are delaying that accessibility in the hopes that fans will choose to watch the entire show on Max."

"Last Week Tonight With John Oliver" airs on Sunday nights at 11 p.m. on HBO. In December, HBO announced the renewal of the Emmy-winning show for three additional seasons, extending its run through 2026. Oliver expressed his gratitude, saying, "We're thrilled to continue producing this show with our incredible team. We'll keep pushing the boundaries of 'entertainment' as far as we can."