Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max recently announced it’s charging more for its ad-free streaming plans. This reflects a bigger trend of streaming services getting pricier. This change comes just before the second season premiere of “House of the Dragon,” the prequel to HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” which was HBO’s most-watched series debut ever. Max offers three price options: with ads, ad-free, and ultimate ad-free. The ad-free plan will now cost $16.99 per month, up by $1, while the ultimate ad-free plan will be $20.99 per month. Both yearly subscriptions for these plans will also see big price hikes, but the ad-supported plan will stay at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year.
New subscribers will pay the new prices right away, while existing subscribers will see the increase in their bill after July 4. This comes after Warner Bros. Discovery partnered with Disney to offer a bundle that includes Disney+, Max, and Hulu, in both ad-supported and ad-free versions. Though they haven’t said how much this bundle will cost, it’s expected to be cheaper to attract subscribers. Despite adding two million direct-to-consumer streaming subscribers last quarter, Warner Bros. Discovery didn’t meet financial goals, showing how hard it is to keep subscribers in a competitive market. CEO David Zaslav thinks the bundles will help keep customers, which is a big problem for streaming services.
This is only the second time Max has upped the price for its ad-free service since it started. Last time, in early 2023, they raised it from $14.99 to $15.99 per month. They said it was to invest in content and make the user experience better. Max’s price change is part of a bigger trend in the industry. Other big platforms like NBCUniversal’s Peacock and Netflix are also charging more or changing their service options. Peacock went up by $2 per month, and Netflix stopped offering its cheapest ad-free plan, pushing customers toward pricier options. This shows how companies are trying to make more money in the changing world of digital entertainment.
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