The battle of the streaming services rages on, and while the Netflix bannermen continue to gain ground, there are corpses littering the battlefield. As the likes of Disney+, Apple TV, and Prime Video all lock horns, others like Paramount+ and HBO Max are galloping up from the outside.
Each of these streaming giants has its own thing to offer, but as we juggle an ever-increasing roster of services, how often is it that you cancel something until your favorite show returns?
Whether it's dipping into the newly renamed Apple TV to watch Severance, booting up Prime for The Boys and its many spin-offs, or splashing out for HBO Max just to complain how The Last of Us is deviating from the games, it doesn't seem that those at the top realize that subscribers are getting increasingly disgruntled.
It's not just Netflix's UI overhaul and push into AI that's left viewers vowing to boycott, with price hikes across the board leading to many tightening their belts and deciding which monthly subscriptions are really necessary.
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While there's no denying HBO Max has an impressive lineup of shows and movies, is that really enough to keep you hooked as prices start to creep up? Boasting movies like The Substance, Dune, and The Dark Knight, HBO Max also has stellar series, including Game of Thrones, The Sopranos, and The White Lotus.
Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming service has announced it’s raising prices on all plans as of October 21. This means the ad-supported base tier is going up by $1 a month to $10.99. The standard plan is climbing by $1.50 per month to $18.49, and those on the premium tier will now be paying an extra $2 to bring their monthly total to $22.99.
Possibly to avoid the backlash of subscribers learning about this raise ahead of time and angrily taking to the internet, HBO Max looks like it’s snuck its new pricing structure on us.
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Annual plans are also going up by a respective $10, $15, and $20. Pricing changes go into effect immediately for anyone new to HBO Max, although existing subscribers have a 30-day notice before they go up on November 20.
At a time when there are grumbles about market saturation in terms of streaming services, the big dogs are playing a dangerous game. Disney boldly upped its no-ads Disney+ Premium plan to $18.99 (up by $3) in the midst of the Jimmy Kimmel drama, while Apple TV raised its prices by 30% in August, and Netflix subscribers said 'enough is enough' when it started the year with a hike.
Over on Reddit, disgruntled viewers sharpened their pitchforks and vowed to hit Warner Bros. Discovery where it hurts.
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One angry viewer wrote: "I, for one, love being told I have to pay more for subscriptions that provide zero change."
Referring to the recent Peacemaker finale, another raged: "Bold of them to do this immediately after one of their big shows ends so people might have no issue leaving. Thank god my subscription is included with my internet. Couldn’t justify it otherwise."
A third concluded: "We're going on a rotation now. Wait for platforms to build up a library of shows we're interested in, then switch between them. These companies are too greedy to just hand them 10-20 bucks a month."
There's plenty of hype for the upcoming It: Welcome to Derry, but by the sounds of it, some of you will be skipping it in protest to HBO Max's latest changes.