HBO Max Makes Strangely-Timed Price Hike

 This week we see a rather surprising announcement from steamer HBO Max, now the property of Warner Bros Discovery- its first price increase since the service launched in early 2020. With the streaming platform supposedly set to merge with Discovery+, a move that was anticipated to happen sometime this year, it’s an odd choice. Entertainment attorney Brandon Blake, of Blake & Wang P.A, dives into the details.

Brandon Blake


$1 Jump

This new increase will take the price from $14.99 to $15.99. While a $1 increase may not seem all that newsworthy, this also means it will pass Netflix (currently $15.49 for the premium tier) for the title of most expensive streamer on the market domestically. While we’re certain Netflix is relieved to have lost that dubious lead, it’s an odd choice given the uncertain future of the platform.


Currently, most in the industry are expecting a full merger for Discovery+ and HBO Max, complete with a rebranding that could lose the HBO title altogether in a bid for better market appeal. While we have few details (and no proposed pricing) for this merger, it has been set for spring. Which is not all that far away right now.

Following the Trend

Of course, we’ve seen a spate of price hikes across the streaming market of late. While the economic slump takes some responsibility, most of it comes as streamers seek to fund glittering high-profile content to lure subscribers and subscription fees to their platform at a time when many US households are cutting back. We’ve seen Disney+ jump by $3, while Apple TV carried a 40% hike. While Netflix has left its premium tier alone (for now), no doubt partly due to its status as the highest-costing subscription, we’ve also seen their new ad-supported tier diversify their subscription offerings. 


While HBO Max has been on a slow global rollout since 2021, we’ve also seen it announce entry into France via the Amazon platform recently. It seems like a lot of movement for a streamer with an uncertain future. It will be interesting to see how things evolve from here.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Is Kung Fu Panda 4 the Key to a Reinvigorated 2024 Box Office?

Image
 With Dune: Part Two having finally powered up the 2024 box office, it's time to build on that impetus if the wider box office recovery is to continue. There could be another strong contender lurking in the wings for this weekend’s releases- but it will doubtless surprise you to learn that this hope lies with the fourth installment of the animated Kung Fu Panda saga! Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment attorney Los Angeles , Brandon Blake, has more on this ironic twist for us.                                                                          Brandon Blake Two $40M Grosses on the Cards For the first time since July 2023 and the Barbenheimer dual release, we have a chance at not one, but two, films grossing over $40M this weekend. In fact, those figures may top $50M! While Dune: Part Two...
Read more

Netflix Ad Tier Turns in Fantastic Growth

Image
 What a difference half a year can make! With Netflix’s ad-supported subscription tier first launched only 18 months ago, the streamer has managed to nearly double its subscriber base since the start of 2024. Blake & Wang P.A. entertainment lawyer , Brandon Blake, fills in the details. Brandon Blake Impressive Subscriber Gains Netflix’s total subscribers for the ad-supported tier now number 40 million monthly active users. In January 2024, it was 23 million. The streamer was understandably gleeful to reveal this news at its first in-person Upfronts presentation in New York earlier this month. At its first-ever Upfronts presentation, which was held digitally in 2023, the ad tier had 5 million monthly active users.   Additionally, we were told that 40% of active signups now opt for the ad-supported plan, in countries where it is currently available. Of course, much of this can be attributed to a rather kind price ($7 domestically) for this tier, well below most of ...
Read more

Hulu on Disney+ is Officially Here

Image
While the Hulu on Disney+ Beta bundle has been live since last year, we have officially reached the point of full integration. Intriguingly, much of the executive focus on the new bundle has been around the technical advancements needed to unite the two platforms. You could take a look at entertainment lawyer Brandon Blake, from Blake & Wang P.A., looks in more depth at the united offering.                                              Brandon Blake Technical Advancements While few viewers are likely to know (or care, frankly) about the backstage technology that powers their viewing experience, Disney executives have been keen to hammer home the potential for happier, healthier subscriber engagement and retention with the new tech shift. They have gone as far as to call it the “most extensive technical advancement” since launch. At this point, it is clear that they ...
Read more