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HBO Max hikes prices across all subscription tiers

MacDailyNews

Oct 21

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In a move that’s sure to ripple through the crowded streaming landscape, Warner Bros. Discovery has officially raised prices for HBO Max subscriptions, effective immediately for new subscribers and starting December 2024 for existing ones. The adjustments, detailed in an update on the HBO Max help center, affect every plan tier and come as the company seeks to bolster revenue amid rising content production costs and intensified competition from rivals like Netflix and Disney+.The price increases mark the latest chapter in the ongoing “streaming wars,” where platforms are grappling with subscriber fatigue and the need to fund blockbuster original programming. HBO Max, rebranded in 2023 to emphasize its premium HBO heritage, has positioned itself as a go-to destination for prestige TV and cinematic blockbusters. However, with overall streaming penetration stabilizing, executives have turned to pricing strategies to drive profitability.

Breakdown of the New Pricing Structure

According to the official announcement, HBO Max’s three core plans—With Ads, Ad-Free, and Ultimate Ad-Free—will see hikes ranging from $1 to $5 per month. Here’s a side-by-side comparison of the old and new monthly rates (annual plans will reflect proportional increases):

HBO Max New Pricing Structure

Effective immediately for new subscribers; existing monthly subscribers will see changes in December 2024.

Plan Old Price (Monthly) New Price (Monthly) Increase Key Features With Ads $9.99 $10.99 +$1.00 Access to full library with limited ads; HD streaming on supported devices. Ad-Free $15.99 $17.99 +$2.00 No ads during streaming; offline downloads; up to 3 simultaneous streams. Ultimate Ad-Free $19.99 $24.99 +$5.00 Ad-free in 4K UHD; up to 4 simultaneous streams; Dolby Atmos audio support.

Annual plans: With Ads $109.99 (was $99.99), Ad-Free $169.99 (was $149.99), Ultimate Ad-Free $249.99 (was $199.99).

Annual subscriptions will also rise accordingly: the With Ads plan jumps from $99.99 to $109.99, Ad-Free from $149.99 to $169.99, and Ultimate Ad-Free from $199.99 to $249.99. Existing subscribers on monthly plans will automatically transition to the new rates in December 2024, while those on annual billing locked in the old price until their renewal date.

The changes apply to U.S. subscribers only and do not include add-on bundles like the popular HBO Max + Discovery+ combo or third-party integrations through Amazon Prime Video or Hulu. Notably, the announcement mentions no alterations to content access or quality thresholds beyond the pricing.

This isn’t HBO Max’s first rodeo with price adjustments — similar hikes hit in 2021 and 2023, each time citing investments in exclusive content like House of the Dragon and The Last of Us. Warner Bros. Discovery CFO Gunnar Wiedenfels hinted during a recent earnings call that “strategic pricing” would help offset a projected 5% rise in content spend for 2025, fueled by upcoming tentpoles such as the final season of Euphoria and a new DC Universe slate.

Netflix’s ad-supported tier remains at $6.99/mo., while Disney+ holds steady at $7.99/mo. with ads. Apple TV, which focuses on quality and therefore does not offer an ad-supported tier, costs $12.99/mo.

For cord-cutters and families, the HBO Max increases could sting. A household opting for the Ultimate plan to share across devices now faces an extra $60 annually — equivalent to two months of the old Ad-Free tier. HBO Max is countering with promotions: new users get 20% off the first year on annual plans, and a 7-day free trial remains available across all tiers.

Warner Bros. Discovery has teased further ecosystem expansions, including deeper integration with the Max app on smart TVs and potential sports streaming add-ons. As the company merges its assets under the “Max” umbrella, these price tweaks underscore a shift toward premium monetization over aggressive growth.

MacDailyNews Take: Apple TV looks like a better value – especially as part of an Apple One bundle!

MacDailyNews Note: Apple TV is available on the Apple TV app in over 100 countries and regions, on over 1 billion screens, including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K, Apple Vision Pro, Mac, popular smart TVs from Samsung, LG, Sony, VIZIO, TCL and others, Roku and Amazon Fire TV devices, Chromecast with Google TV, PlayStation and Xbox gaming consoles, and at tv.apple.com, for $12.99 per month with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers. For a limited time, customers who purchase and activate a new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV or Mac can enjoy three months of Apple TV for free.

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