Copyright independent
Warner Bros. Discovery announced Tuesday its HBO Max streaming service is increasing all subscription prices. HBO Max’s basic plan with ads will now cost an extra $1 a month, bringing the monthly subscription price to $10.99. The yearly subscription will jump an extra $10 to $109.99. Subscribers with the HBO Max standard plan, with no ads, will see a $1.50 per month price bump, costing $18.49 monthly. Those who pay annually will see a $15 increase to $184.99. HBO Max premium customers, who have the luxury of no ads, 4K content and the ability to stream on more devices simultaneously, will pay an extra $2 a month for it, bringing their monthly bill to $22.99. The yearly subscription will rise by an extra $20 to $229.99. The new price hikes go into effect immediately for new customers. Existing monthly subscribers will see their HBO Max plans go up starting from their next billing date on or after November 20. Existing yearly subscribers will not see an increase in their plan until it’s up for renewal. The Independent has reached out to Warner Bros. Discovery for comment. Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement comes after CEO David Zaslav said he thinks HBO Max is “underpriced.” "We're not trying to be everything to everybody. And the fact that this is quality, and that's true across our company, Motion Picture, TV production and streaming quality. We think that gives us a chance to raise price," Zaslav said at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia + Technology Conference last month. Disney has also announced rising costs for its streaming services, Disney+ and Hulu, which kicked in Tuesday. In September, the entertainment company said the price of Disney+ with ads and Hulu with ads would each increase from $9.99 to $11.99 per month. Disney+ Premium, without ads, rose from $15.99 to $18.99 per month, but Hulu Premium remained at $18.99 a month. Disney also announced price hikes for its various streaming bundles. Netflix announced it was increasing its prices in January. Its standard ad-free plan increased from $15.49 a month to $17.99, while its plan with ads rose from $6.99 per month to $7.99. In July, NBCUniversal announced an increase in its streaming service Peacock. Peacock Premium, with ads, and Premium Plus, with no ads, saw an increase of $3 to $10.99 a month and $16.99 per month, respectively. These price hikes come as Americans continue to feel the burden of inflation. The consumer price index, a key inflation indicator, rose to 2.9 percent in August, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The consumer price index report for September will come out Friday. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce 2025 Economic Outlook Luncheon last month, “Inflation has eased significantly from its highs of 2022 but remains somewhat elevated relative to our 2 percent longer-run goal.”
