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HBO Max joins the list of streaming platforms that raise the prices of their subscriptions, as Netflix or Amazon Prime Video already did. The company announced on Tuesday that it will raise, from July 14, the monthly payment one euro, from 8.99 to 9.99. The company notified its customers by mail of the new price and unleashed confusion in networks, since the beneficiaries of its 50% discount for life thought they would go from paying 4.49 euros to 9.99. These changes come before HBO Max becomes Max, as it announced in April. The platform plans to absorb the Discovery+ catalog and change its name from 2024 in Spain.
Is the 50% lifetime discount maintained?
As a launch strategy, HBO offered a 50% lifetime discount to early adopters who subscribed. After Tuesday's announcement, the networks were filled with messages from angry users who thought the company would not respect their promotion. Hours later, the official account of the platform clarified the confusion and assured that the discount will be maintained. "It will continue as long as the HBO Max subscription is active and you continue to comply with the conditions of the promotional offer," they clarify on the website. Thus, the beneficiaries will go from paying 4.49 euros to 4.99, an increase of 50 cents per month.
🚨We confirm that those users who are currently subscribed to the 50% promotion will continue to enjoy it🚨 pic.twitter.com/YTHhd7JwYW
— HBO Max Spain (@HBOMaxES) June 13, 2023
When does the change take effect?
For those profiles that already have an account on HBO Max, the change will be applied in one month, on July 14. Users who subscribe from this moment to the platform will pay directly the new rate.
What about the annual subscription?
The annual subscription maintains its price at 69.99 euros and subscribers to this plan will save 41% of the usual price. Compared to the 9.99 euros of the monthly program, these users will pay 5.83 per month.
What does it mean for HBO Max to become Max?
Spanish users were prepared to find the modification of their plans sometime in 2024, when HBO Max was renamed Max. A change that has already occurred in the United States, where the company operates with the following rates: a basic $ 10 with advertising; an intermediate one of 16 dollars or 150 per year – which includes two simultaneous display devices and 30 downloads – and a premium of 20 dollars – four devices, 100 downloads and 4K playback quality.
What is the strategy that the rest of the platforms in Spain are following?
Amazon Prime Video announced last summer the increase of its subscriptions by almost 40%, from costing 36 euros per year to 49.90. Its monthly plan also increased by one euro, from 3.99 to 4.99.
Disney+ has two options: monthly payment (8.99 euros) or annual payment (89.90 euros) with the same characteristics. Each account can have four users at a time.
Filmin has two plans: the basic for 7.99 euros per month or 84 per year and the plus for 14.99 euros per month or 120 per year. The first allows two users at the same time and the second three.
Netflix has been the platform that has modified prices the most by ending shared accounts. Now it has four programs: the basic with ads that costs 5.49 euros per month, the basic for 7.99 euros, the standard for 12.99 and the premium for 17.99.
On the opposite side is Atresplayer, which announced this week that it will create a plan to be shared: the family rate will cost 7.99 – with three simultaneous screens – and will coexist with the current one of 4.99 euros per month or 49.99 per year.
The bulk of Movistar Plus + users come from contracting fiber and telephone with the company, but also have Movistar Plus Lite, which costs 8 euros per month and can be played on two simultaneous devices.
The basic Mitele Plus plan costs 5 euros per month or 42 per year with two screens at the same time.
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