Subscribers of Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max streaming service are in for another round of increased pricing. There are currently a couple of different plan options one can choose under the Max umbrella: you can go Max with Ads, Ad-Free, or Ultimate Ad-Free. All three come with different pricing and benefits, which Warner Bros. Discovery has changed under the leadership of CEO David Zaslav. Most of these have been cost-cutting moves to save the company money, but also wind up costing the consumer more in the long term. Next up is a price hike for Max’s two Ad-Free tiers.
Starting today, Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Max is raising the price of monthly and yearly plans for Ad-Free and Ultimate Ad-Free. The monthly Ad-Free plan will increase by $1 per month, making the new price $16.99/month. The yearly Ad-Free plan will increase by $20 per year, making it $169.99/year. The monthly Ultimate Ad-Free plan will increase by $1 per month, making the new price $20.99/month. The yearly Ultimate Ad-Free plan will increase by $10 per year, making it $209.99/year.
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These price changes take place immediately for new subscriptions. The Max With Ads plan remains unchanged at $9.99/month or $99.99/year. Existing subscribers will be notified 30 days in advance of their plan renewing and see price increases starting from their next billing cycle on or after Thursday, July 4, 2024. Current yearly subscribers will not see an increase until renewal.
The Max price changes were first reported back in May, with employee cuts at Max also a possibility as the company looks to cut costs and reduce its overall debt load.
“The company is focused on the long-term growth of the business overall, including Max, which has been a priority across WBD to expand the original content offerings for our streaming audiences including news originals from CNN, March Madness and NBA Finals from sports, local language content from international, and a new distribution deal with A24.”
Disney+, Max and Hulu bundle coming this summer
Disney and Warner Bros. Discovery are collaborating on a combined bundle of their streaming services. Disney+ and Hulu fall under the Walt Disney company, while Warner Bros. Discovery offers Max, formerly known as HBO Max. Currently, all three streaming sites offer ad-supported plans in addition to premium ad-free plans with different price tiers.
“On the heels of the very successful launch of Hulu on Disney+, this new bundle with Max will offer subscribers even more choice and value,” Joe Earley, president of direct-to-consumer for Disney Entertainment, said in a statement. “This incredible new partnership puts subscribers first, giving them access to blockbuster films, originals, and three massive libraries featuring the very best brands and entertainment in streaming today.”
“This new offering delivers for consumers the greatest collection of entertainment for the best value in streaming, and will help drive incremental subscribers and much stronger retention,” JB Perrette, CEO and president of global streaming and games for Warner Bros. Discovery, added. “Offering this unprecedented entertainment value for fans across all the complimentary genres these three services offer, presents a powerful new roadmap for the future of the industry.”
