Following in the footsteps of other streaming services, HBO’s Max has announced that they will immediately increase their ad-free tiers by $1 for those subscribed.
As Netflix did earlier in the year, HBO’s Max streaming service has decided to give customers a price hike of $1 extra, in an attempt to have subscribers potentially shift from ad-free tiers to commercially supported tiers. HBO notes that the tier that provides ads will not be affected. The new billing goes into effect immediately, and fans who receive their bill after June 4 will notice the new premium.
HBO’s Max Service Official New Pricing
- 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.
- Ultimate Ad-Free | The monthly Ultimate Ad-Free plan will increase $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. (provided by HBO)
As previously noted, fans who subscribe to the tier with ads will not be affected and will retain their previous monthly fee of $9.99 (or $99.99 yearly). It’s interesting to note that HBO’s hit series House of the Dragon is coming back this month, as the series premiere lands on June 16, so it may be HBO’s way of upping the price by a minimal amount right before Game of Thrones returns to screens. While $1 a month might be a small amount for users, HBO touted over 70 million global subscribers in their Q4 2022 earnings report and forecasted 150 million by 2025.
While HBO has raised its price, Peacock is also planning to increase its price by $2 across the board on July 18. So while $1 and $2 don’t seem like a big amount, if consumers subscribe to multiple services, it will add up. Consumers can read more on HBO over on their site.
