HBO Max has announced an increase in subscription price for new and existing users of the streaming service. Warner Bros. Discovery's biggest streaming platform has faced much public scrutiny over the past few months due to the removal of major original shows from the platform, such as Raised by Wolves and Westworld. The streaming service was also the subject of controversy after shelving Batgirl and Scoob: Holiday Haunt, two near-complete films from major franchises. Many of HBO Max's recent decisions have been due to cost-cutting efforts from Warner Bros. Discovery.

According to Deadline, HBO Max's monthly subscription cost will be increasing by $1 for all users during the next billing cycle on February 11. The new $15.99 per month price tag now makes HBO Max the most expensive streaming platform on the market based on current price rankings. It's unclear how this price change will impact HBO Max and Discovery+ merging into one service in the spring. Warner Bros. Discovery also released this statement addressing the price increase:

This price increase of one dollar will allow us to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users.

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Why HBO Max's Price Increase Makes Sense

Mindy Kaling in HBO Max's Velma 2

While it may not be great news for HBO Max subscribers that don't want to pay an extra dollar for the streaming service, the increase in price for HBO Max makes sense in the context of Warner Bros. Discovery's plans going forward. Sometime in 2023, HBO Max and Discovery+ will be merging into one streaming service, though it's unclear if that merge will take the form of a new streaming service or just content migration. The increase in HBO Max's price could signal that Discovery+ films and series will simply migrate over to HBO Max. Talks of an HBO Max replacement have been around for some time, but this new increase in price may indicate it's here to stay.

Warner Bros. Discovery also seems intent on meeting massive cost-cutting goals during the merged company's financial restructuring. This has included the cancelation and removal of HBO Max originals from the platform, as well as the removal of episodes from children's programming like Sesame Street. The most recent reports indicate Warner Bros. Discovery could be looking to cut up to $5.3 billion in costs, a goal they hope to meet by the end of 2024. HBO Max's price increase can act as a way to maintain profitability for the company going into 2023 following the plethora of content - like over 250 Looney Tunes episodes - removed from the service last year.

HBO Max's price increase also follows the price increase of other major streaming services over the last year, such as Netflix and Disney+. It's possible that these price increases from multiple streaming services is a necessity to keep these convenient entertainment services profitable. Major upcoming HBO series like The Last of Us and Dune: The Sisterhood likely have large budgets, which have to be equalized by a more pricey service. While it's still unclear if HBO Max will be Warner Bros. Discovery's primary streaming service for all of 2023, this recent price increase means it may still be around for the foreseeable future.

Next: HBO Max: Every Movie & TV Show Coming In January 2023

Source: Deadline