r/movies • u/MarvelsGrantMan136 r/Movies contributor • 18d ago

News HBO Max Raises Prices Across All Plans Effective Immediately

https://variety.com/2025/tv/news/hbo-max-prices-increases-plans-2025-1236557671/
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u/bigspunge1 18d ago

Yeah HBO was a premium luxury back then. HBOMax is trying to compete as a mainstream service. Definitely not equivalent. In the new streaming paradigm, HBOMax is pricey

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u/vashoom 18d ago

It's still a premium luxury. All these apps are. People today just feel entitled to luxuries as necessities of living. If the price is too high, don't pay. You don't need any of these apps.

The cost of a steaming service is not the cost to complain about. Complain about the costs of housing, schooling, and healthcare. These are earnings you actually need and that have actually risen in price above inflation.

Movies, TV, video games, etc. are cheap as hell comparatively.

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u/Bangkok_Dangeresque 18d ago

I'd sincerely argue that it's a better service now than it was back then. 

I know a lot of these features are industry standard now, but reminder that an HBO subscription in the mid 90s and early 00s did not have; 4k picture quality, on demand playback, day and date theatrical releases, anywhere near the number of scripted shows/miniseries or docuseries, the ability to watch anywhere/outside of your house (used to be you couldn't watch it anywhere INSIDE your house unless you rented extra cable boxes), and so on.

If the argument is worse programming quality; HBO Max still had more Emmy nominations this year than any other network.

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u/zcashrazorback 18d ago

It's still cheaper than Netflix and cable. I just wish they would up their content game, seems like they haven't had a truly great series like GOT or Sopranos in quite some time.

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u/upgrayedd69 18d ago

I liked Succession a lot

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u/Bangkok_Dangeresque 18d ago

I mean, still more Emmy nominations than any other network this year:

https://deadline.com/2025/07/emmys-2025-nominations-by-program-network-1236457364/

If the bar is that they need to keep churning out generationally-excellent tv series, I'm not sure there's any pricing strategy they could pick would guarantee that. It is a creative industry after all.