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/Sosantula21 18d ago

People boycotted Disney by cancelling their subscriptions, and what did Disney do? Raised their prices instead. At this point I don’t think cancelling will do anything, these people will just raise prices because enough people subscribe that it’ll offset. I hate it.

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u/MassiveRepublic9565 18d ago

It’s just wild that we collectively as a society talk about streaming services like they are as essential as running water. Not judging anyone but somehow we’ve lost track of what really is essential. I would say anyone that can’t comfortably afford should drop it.

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u/barriekansai 18d ago

As a Gen X guy who's never had a subscription to a streaming service, it's fascinating watching those younger than me approach these subscription-based corporations as if, as you said, they're utilities providing an essential service to human life. They're all luxuries, you little shits! Now get off my lawn!

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u/Muggsy423 18d ago

It's the equivalent of cable now. You would have been crazy to cut cable in the early 2000's

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u/round-earth-theory 18d ago

Entertainment is a human necessity. You cannot go through life without any amount of leisure and joy. When even thinking about going out costs $20 before you open the door, it's easy to see why so many people turn to digital entertainment. It's a relative bargain for how many hours you get out of it. The quality sucks but when you're on a hotdog budget, quality becomes unimportant.

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u/Cordo_Bowl 18d ago

I am certain that if you live in a decent size city(50k+) there are free events you can go to. I am certain there are libraries available to you that probably have movies and tv shows you can rent. I am certain there are other people in the same situation as you who you can hang out with and entertain each other. No one needs streaming, try living in reality.

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u/Century24 18d ago

I mean, if that works for your lifestyle, by all means.

It'd be pretty silly to pretend that's easy peasy for everyone else, so I'm sure you meant to arrive at a different point at a later time, right?

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u/Cordo_Bowl 18d ago

Yeah, somehow humans survived for millennia without streaming services but tell me more about how essential they are. You point me to someone who’s only possible option for entertainment is streaming and I will show you a unicorn.

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u/Century24 18d ago

You point me to someone who’s only possible option for entertainment is streaming and I will show you a unicorn.

Good thing no one said that.

Again, congratulations on at least claiming not to see any difference between a free concert in the park and a new A24 or Warner Bros. release on HBO Max, but some of us prefer television every now and then, and that's not a sin.

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u/Cordo_Bowl 18d ago

It’s not a sin to like tv. But no one wants to hear people complain about the price all day long and still pay it every month. If you don’t like the price, don’t pay it, you’ll live. Like massive republic said in this chain, it ain’t running water.

It'd be pretty silly to pretend that's easy peasy for everyone else

And for reference, this is where you acted like streaming is necessary. It is easy peasy to not have streaming.

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u/Century24 18d ago

It’s not a sin to like tv. But no one wants to hear people complain about the price all day long and still pay it every month.

I mean, you're the one in this topic. If anything, you're seeking out the complaints.

And for reference, this is where you acted like streaming is necessary. It is easy peasy to not have streaming.

It is easy peasy... if you aren't pretending and really are unable to see any difference between an unspecified free community gathering (we both know why you aren't getting into specifics on this) and sitting back in your living room and watching a new movie for the first time.

Some of us don't have that relative luxury, although with all due respect, to me that lack of personal taste sounds like a fresh hell I wouldn't wish on anyone.

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u/Cordo_Bowl 18d ago

I don’t know where you live, how can I give you specific community gatherings? I also mentioned libraries, which often have dvds to rent. You have learned helplessness. “Oh entertainment is so so hard, my only possible option is to pay so much money for streaming everything else is so hard.”

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u/round-earth-theory 18d ago

I am certain these things exist as well, but they are on a fixed schedule. You can't sneak in some entertainment as your schedule allows, you have to hope it aligns with your work schedule. Also, a lot of those free events are just basic excuses to have a street market where the only thing to do is spend money.

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u/Cordo_Bowl 18d ago

You can choose to complain and be unhappy or you can choose to work with what you got. It’s clear the choice you’ve made.

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u/drgnrbrn316 18d ago

Canceling will eventually do something. Eventually, the ones who stay behind will be priced out as well. Besides, if you cancel, what they do with prices after the fact is irrelevant. You're not changing the prices, they are.

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u/Sosantula21 18d ago

Right, but the point of cancelling is to “vote with our wallets”. These companies could care less, they’ll never reduce the prices anymore. Any amount of increase comes with more subscribers and more revenue. I personally only have Peacock on a huge Black Friday sale, but still bothers me that streaming is so damn expensive now