HBO Max has joined the ranks of streaming services that are becoming more expensive. HBO Max owner Warner Bros Discovery announced today that the ad-free HBO Max plan will increase from $15 to $16 per month for both new and existing subscribers.
The price increase takes effect immediately for new HBO Max subscribers who sign up today. Existing subscribers will notice the price increase in their next billing cycle beginning on or after February 11. HBO Max stated in a statement that the price increase will allow it to continue investing in programming and user experience:
This dollar price hike, according to the corporation, “will enable us to continue investing in producing even more culture-defining programming and enhancing our user experience for all users.” The ad-supported HBO Max tier will continue to cost $9.99 per month.
However, as The Verge points out, the price increase comes amid the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger and questions about the future of HBO Max content. HBO Max recently removed some of its most popular TV shows‘ back catalogs, and those shows are expected to resurface on other streaming platforms in the future.
