AceShowbiz - John Oliver, the host of "Last Week Tonight", has publicly criticized HBO's new strategy of delaying the release of the show's segments on YouTube. In an interview with The New York Times' podcast "The Interview", Oliver expressed his dissatisfaction with the change which started at the beginning of the show's 11th season.

"It's massively frustrating to me. I was not happy with it at all," Oliver said regarding the decision. Previously, viewers could watch the show's main stories on YouTube the morning after an episode aired. However, HBO now holds back these segments for a few days, in an effort to drive more people to stream the show on their sibling streaming platform, Max.

HBO explained the rationale behind the decision, saying that the convenience of viewing on Max was not available when "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver" initially premiered. YouTube served as a flexible platform for main stories and promotional exposure. By delaying YouTube availability, HBO aims to encourage fans to watch the entire show on Max. "We hope those fans choose to watch the entire show on Max," an HBO spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter.

Oliver, however, argued that reaching beyond HBO subscribers through YouTube is essential. "What I love about having the show on YouTube is that we can reach beyond HBO subscribers," Oliver emphasized. "That feels really important to me. I really, really appreciate the fact that they do that. I would rather they did it straight after the show the way we've always done it, but I'm very grateful that they are willing to still do it at all."

Despite his frustrations, Oliver remains passionate about creating the show, even as it continues to evolve. Reflecting on his future with the show, he shared, "I've not hit that point yet. I still absolutely love making the show. It's so fun. I can't believe that we get to ram stories down people's throats that they might not naturally want to hear and that they will watch it."

The show's shift away from political debate coverage was also touched upon. Oliver highlighted that such debates often do not add unique perspectives to already widespread commentary. "It feels like to a certain extent, our show has moved into an area where we are very much slow cooking, and so there's not much there for us," he explained.

"Last Week Tonight" continues to air new episodes on HBO, maintaining its focus on in-depth stories and unique insights, even amidst changes in its distribution strategy.