On October 21, Warner Bros. Discovery declared that HBO Max would be increasing its prices across all three of its packages, effective immediately. This announcement aligns with Disney+ raising its prices, underscoring the apparent yearly trend of streaming services becoming pricier.
Here’s what each HBO Max package will cost moving forward and how its new prices stack up against those of other streaming platforms.
What will HBO Max packages cost after the price hike?
HBO Max’s ad-supported option, HBO Max Basic with Ads, is going up by $1 monthly, from $9.99 to $10.99. On an annual basis, it is $109.99, a $10 rise from the previous price of $99.99. Choosing the annual plan will save you $21.89 annually.
HBO Max Standard, which comes without ads, previously costs $16.99 monthly. As of October 21, it is priced at $18.49, meaning subscribers will incur an additional $1.50 monthly. The annual plan is now $184.99 per year. Paying upfront saves you $36.89 per year.
HBO Max Premium experiences the highest price increase, rising from $20.99 to $22.99 monthly. The yearly plan costs $229.99, $20 more than the old yearly fee of $209.99. Opting for the yearly plan saves subscribers $45.89 yearly.
How do HBO Max’s updated prices compare to other streaming platforms?
HBO Max has consistently been on the pricier side of leading streaming services, but even with these price hikes, it is not the most costly.
At $10.99 monthly, the Basic with Ads package is pricier than the ad-supported tiers of Netflix ($7.99), Paramount+ ($7.99), Peacock ($7.99), and a standalone Prime Video subscription ($8.99). Nonetheless, Disney+ and Hulu’s ad-supported tiers still cost $1 more, at $11.99 per month.
HBO Max Standard, now priced at $18.49 monthly, exceeds the prices of Peacock ($10.99), Prime Video ($11.98), and Paramount+’s ($12.99) ad-free options. With the new price adjustment, it also surpasses Netflix’s ($17.99) ad-free tier. It is cheaper than both Disney+ and Hulu’s corresponding tiers ($18.99 each).
Not all major streaming services provide Premium tiers like Max. Among the ones that do, HBO Max stands in the middle in terms of pricing. At $22.99 per month, it is pricier than Peacock’s Premium Plus plan ($16.99) but just $2 less expensive than Netflix’s Premium tier ($24.99).