hbo max is going to start the process of restructuring as part of the merger with Discovery+. This is a move announced by Warner Bros. Discovery at the beginning of August will be the stage “before” and “after” for the platform. While it is not known what name the service product of this unification will take, it can already be assumed that they will introduce new pricing scheme it will not be positive for subscribers’ pocket.
If HBO Max has excelled in one thing since its launch, and even before when content was only available through HBO Go and direct channels, it’s the quality of its series and movies. In fact, the platform led the way in 2022 Emmy Award nominations. Simply because of this situation, coupled with the significant number of productions it will add after the merger with Discovery+, subscription price increase is only a matter of time.
Of course, at Warner Bros. Discovery is already preparing for takeoff. In his speech at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia conference, Gunnar Wiedenfels, the company’s chief financial officer, predicted changes in membership fees (via edge). Cause? Please note that the current prices of HBO Max and Discovery+ are “low” given the quality of its original content.
Now Wiedenfels also believes that, in its current state, HBO Max is not a perfect service. The manager notes that its interface is not as nice and “clean” as Discovery+, suggesting that the merger will benefit the user experience of the former. As you can see, Warner Bros. Discovery they are starting to pave the way for having products that guarantee growth in the near future.
Can the HBO Max price increase be justified?
Undoubtedly, The current vision of the future of HBO Max isn’t exactly good., and with the rapid rise in prices, the prospects do not improve at all. It should be remembered that the service was born under the auspices of other directors, but with the recent birth of Warner Bros. Discovery’s future strategy is in the hands of people whose vision is very different. The general consensus is that much of the company has been mismanaged, especially financially, and that this should be resolved as soon as possible.
How will subscribers perceive this news? To be honest, it’s completely unknown. It would be normal to think that there would be mass revulsion, as happened with the Netflix price increase, for example. Nonetheless, HBO Max is in a different position. His content production strategy puts quality over quantity; that’s why it shows how Game of Thrones, succession, Chernobyl or euphoriaand these are just a few that have reached the top.
So current HBO Max users may not be as much of an annoyance by shelling out a few extra dollars/euro/pesos. After all, if the company continues to produce high-quality original content, it will be able to sustain the rising costs. Unless it’s disproportionate, of course.
If your plan is working smoothly, HBO Max and Discovery+ will begin their division in the spring of 2023.
