Discovery of Warner Bros. today unveiled three tiers for its new Max service. Pricing keeps Max in line with HBO Max, and at the higher end of the entertainment streaming spectrum. A price hike several months ago by HBO Max made it the most expensive service among major streamers, and the new set of plans will keep it just ahead of Netflix’s most popular US plan, which now costs $15.49. $ per month.
The top-end plan also offers Max 4K functionality and up to four simultaneous connections, two increasingly popular options for discerning streaming consumers.
The plans are:
- Maximum advertising light for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Two simultaneous streams.
- Max without advertising for $15.99 per month or $149.99 per year. Two simultaneous streams.
- Max ultimate ad-free for $19.99 per month or $199.99 per year. Four simultaneous streams.
Existing HBO Max subscribers will have access to Max for the same price and will still have access to the features of their current plan for at least six months after Max launches. HBO Max subscriber profiles, settings, watch history, “continue watching” and “my list” features will also migrate so viewers can resume streaming where they left off.
Max. which WBD calls Max “the one to watch,” launches May 23. It will house HBO Originals, Warner Bros. films, Max Originals, DC Universe, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, children’s content and discovery content across food, home, reality, lifestyle and documentaries from HGTV, Food Network, Discovery Channel, TLC and ID. It will average over 40 new titles and seasons every month.
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“This new brand marks a significant shift from two narrower products, HBO Max and Discovery+, to our broader content offering and proposition to consumers. While each product offered something for certain people, Max will have a wide range of quality choices for everyone,” said JB Perette, CEO of WBD’s Global Streaming & Games.
Perette also ticked off a list of changes to boost Max engagement, including a simpler user interface, a new content navigation menu, and a selection of top brands and genre hubs. Other improvements for advertisers will help monetize content. For most users, the HBO Max app will automatically update to the new Max app. Some may need to be prompted to download the Max app.
Casey Bloys, CEO of HBO Max and Max Content, called Max a vast mosaic of content that will be unmatched in the breadth, reach and excellence of its offering.
As the company previously announced, Discovery+ will continue to operate as a standalone service and “will not be affected by any such changes”. Perrette called Discovery+ a “profitable service” with a large user base. It costs $4.99 with the ads and $6.99 with the ad light.