Warner Bros. Discovery just announced that its subscription service, which was recently reverted to HBO Max after a failed rebranding attempt, is getting a price increase on all of its plans. Starting Tuesday, October 21, the ad-supported HBO Max Basic plan will cost you an extra $1 each month, increasing from $9.99 to $10.99. If you opt for the annual plan, you will need to shell out an additional $10 a year, bringing the total to $109.99.
The HBO Max Standard plan is getting a price increase of $1.50, now costing $18.49 a month. In conjunction, an annual Standard plan will cost $184.99, which is $15 more than the previous plan. The Premium plan is getting the biggest bump in price, with customers now having to shell out an extra $2 every month, or an extra $22.99 annually. Those with an annual Premium plan will need to spend $229.99 to enjoy the highest tier plan offered by HBO.
This new price hike is in effect for new customers starting today. For those who are already HBO Max subscribers, you will have to start paying more when you go to renew on or after November 20.
More money, same features
This isn’t the first time Warner Bros. Discovery has increased the price of its streaming service. Back in the summer of 2024, both of the ad-free HBO Max subscription plans were made $1 more expensive. A monthly Standard plan went from $15.99 to $16.99, while the annual plan shot up to $169.99 from $149.99. Additionally, the Premium tier was bumped up to $20.99 a month, and the annual plan to $209.99. This price hike was enacted after the company made no significant revenue growth in the first quarter of 2024. Since then, it has continued to increase its prices and crack down on password sharing.
Despite HBO’s repeated price hikes, the features offered by each subscription tier have not changed. HBO Max’s Basic plan allows users to stream content up to 1080p on two devices at once. The Standard tier is ad-free and allows users to download up to 30 files for offline playback. Premium offers the most features, allowing users to stream content on four devices simultaneously, download up to 100 pieces of content, and enjoy 4K Ultra HD and Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
Warner Bros. Discovery is not the only media company that has raised the price of its streaming service this month. Disney’s streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, also fell victim to another round of price hikes. These price hikes, likely influenced by each other indirectly, could signify a concerning trend for customers, as we spend more and more every year on the services we already use.
