The price hikes keep coming, and HBO Max isn’t going to end it. The streaming platform is raising prices across all its plans, effective immediately, marking its third consecutive year of doing so in the U.S. after its first rollout in early 2023, before it was re-branded as Max (which reverted to the ‘HBO Max’ naming convention back in May this year).
As Variety reports, the HBO Max Basic with Ads has increased by US$1 a month to US$10.99, or an additional US$10 per year to US$109.99 annually. The standard tier now costs US$18.49 a month, up US$1.50 from before, while the 12-month subscription is priced at US$184.99, US$15 more than last year. Lastly, the Premium plan sets users back by US$22.99 a month and US$229.99 a year (versus US$20.99 and US$209.99 previously).
Here’s a quick look at the new prices:
- HBO Max Basic with Ads (stream on two devices simultaneously): US$10.99/month, US$109.99/year
- HBO Max Standard (no ads, stream on two devices simultaneously): US$18.49/month, US$184.99/year
- HBO Max Premium (no ads, 4K content, stream on four devices simultaneously): US$22.99/month, US$229.99/year
The price hike was inevitable after Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav called HBO Max “way underpriced” last month, saying, “The fact that this is quality — and that’s true across our company, motion picture, TV production and and streaming quality — we all think that gives us a chance to raise price. We think we’re way underpriced. We’re going to take our time.”
While new subscriptions are subject to the adjusted fares immediately, existing monthly subscribers will have them reflected in their bill on or after 20 November. As for current yearly subscribers, the changes will only kick in until their accounts are up for renewal.
At the time of writing, the plan offerings for Singapore are still priced the same at S$14.48 per month / S$129.98 per year for the standard tier, and S$18.98 and S$169.98 for the Ultimate, so it’s unclear how long it will take for the price increase to hit markets outside of the U.S and U.K. Considering that other streamers like Disney+, Prime Video, and Spotify have all raised their costs globally, it’s likely going to be way sooner than later.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Kevin Low
