Max ad-free streaming service is getting a price hike
A Max banner at a Warner Bros Discovery office in New York, US, on Saturday, Feb. 17, 2024. Warner Bros Discovery Inc. is scheduled to release earnings figures on February 23. Photographer: Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Warner Bros. Discovery on Tuesday raised the price for the ad-free subscription to its Max streaming service.
The move, which will take effect immediately for new subscribers, hikes the monthly ad-free plan's price by $1 to $16.99 a month. It will also increase the annual ad-free plan price by $20 to an annual cost of $169.99.
Prices for Max's ultimate ad-free tier, which includes features such as the ability to have four streams running at the same time and 4K streaming options, will increase by $1 to $20.99 a month.
Current monthly subscribers will receive a notice informing them about the price changes 30 days before their plan renews, with changes reflected after their July billing cycle, while users with annual subscriptions won't see a change until their renewal date.
The price for the Max plan that includes ads remains unchanged at $9.99 per month.
Warner Bros. Discovery's move comes as a range of streaming platforms have moved to raise prices and bundle their offerings with those from other services.
Last month, Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney Entertainment announced a new bundle that would include Max with Disney+ and Hulu.
The bundle will include package options that are ad-supported and ad-free and will be available on any of the three streaming platforms' websites. The companies said additional details about the new bundle, including its cost, will be shared in the coming months.
Similarly, Comcast announced in late May that its new "StreamSaver" bundle will feature Peacock Premium, Apple TV+ and a standard Netflix subscription with ads.
The bundle, which became available May 29, costs $15 a month and aims to simplify streaming subscriptions for consumers while saving them money.
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When purchased individually, Apple TV+ costs $9.99 a month, while a standard Netflix plan with ads costs $6.99 a month and Peacock Premium costs $5.99 a month.
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