Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) has announced a price hike for its Max streaming service’s ad-free plans. Effective immediately for new subscribers, the monthly ad-free plan will see a $1 increase, bringing the cost to $16.99 per month. The annual ad-free plan will go up by $20, making it $169.99 per year.
The ultimate ad-free tier, which supports four concurrent streams and 4K streaming options, will also see a price increase of $1, raising the monthly fee to $20.99. The annual plan for this tier will rise by $10, reaching $209.99 per year. Meanwhile, the ad-supported plan remains unchanged at $9.99 per month.
These price adjustments come slightly over a year after Warner Bros. Discovery combined its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services to form Max. The timing also coincides with the upcoming release of the second season of Warner Bros.’ hit series “House of the Dragon,” set to debut on June 16.
The trend of streaming services increasing their prices continues, driven by various profitability challenges. Ad-free plans have been particularly targeted in these hikes as platforms aim to boost viewership and engagement on their newer, ad-supported options.
In line with this trend, Comcast’s (NASDAQ:CMCSA) Peacock streaming service recently announced it will raise its prices in July, following an earlier increase last summer. This adjustment is scheduled ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
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