Warner Bros. Discovery (NASDAQ:WBD) has unveiled plans to implement price increases for its ad-free plans on its streaming service, Max. Effective immediately for new subscribers, the monthly ad-free plan will see a $1 uptick to $16.99, while the annual ad-free plan will rise by $20 to $169.99 yearly.
Simultaneously, the ultimate ad-free tier, offering four concurrent streams and 4K streaming options, will also undergo a $1 increase to $20.99 per month. The corresponding yearly plan will witness a $10 hike to $209.99 annually.
However, the ad-supported plan will maintain its current price at $9.99 a month. These adjustments come just over a year after Warner Bros. merged its HBO Max and Discovery+ streaming services to create Max.
The announcement arrives ahead of the highly anticipated second season of Warner Bros.’ blockbuster “Game of Thrones” prequel, “House of the Dragon,” scheduled for release on June 16.
As streaming platforms grapple with profitability challenges, price hikes have become a recurring strategy. Ad-free plans, in particular, have been targeted as companies seek to bolster viewership and engagement on newly launched, ad-supported platforms.
This move by Warner Bros. follows a trend observed across major streaming services, with virtually all of them raising their subscription costs throughout last year and into 2024. Comcast’s flagship streaming service, Peacock, recently announced price hikes set to take effect in July, coinciding with the 2024 Paris Olympics, after its initial price adjustment last summer.
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