HBO Max Just Got More Expensive—Here’s Why Your Bill Is Climbing
HBO Max is getting pricier—again. Warner Bros. Discovery announced Oct. 21, 2025 that every tier is going up for the third straight year, with Basic with Ads up $1 to $10.99 and Standard up $1.50 to $18.49, while Premium also climbs.
Another year, another streaming bill creeping up. HBO Max just announced its third straight annual price bump, and yeah, it starts hitting wallets soon. Here is what changed, why they say it is happening, and what else the service is plotting behind the scenes.
What is going up (and when)
- Basic with Ads: up $1 to $10.99/month
- Standard: up $1.50 to $18.49/month
- Premium: up $2 to $22.99/month
- Effective dates: new subscribers pay the higher rates right away; existing subscribers see the increase on November 20, 2025
- Timing: Warner Bros. Discovery announced the hikes on October 21, 2025 — the third year in a row the service has raised prices
Why HBO Max says this is happening
The official line from the top: HBO Max has been underpriced for what it offers. CEO David Zaslav pointed to the cost of making and licensing the stuff people actually watch — think Succession, Game of Thrones, Peacemaker — and argued the monthly fee needs to reflect that.
'We think we're way underpriced.'
- David Zaslav to The Hollywood Reporter
Translated: prestige TV is expensive, margins are tighter, and the price is moving to match the perceived value.
The bigger streaming picture
This is not happening in a vacuum. Across streaming, content budgets are up, subscriber growth is slower than it used to be, and profitability is suddenly the metric everyone cares about. Disney+, Apple TV+, and Netflix have all raised rates recently. HBO Max aligning with that trend is not surprising, even if it is annoying.
Password sharing: enforcement is coming
Zaslav also said the company would start cracking down on password sharing in September. If you are keeping score on dates, that means the rollout is essentially in motion now. Expect an approach similar in spirit to Netflix's: they introduced a 'household' rule that limits access to devices tied to one primary Wi‑Fi network. HBO Max is signaling it is ready to follow that lead.
Bottom line
Price hikes are becoming standard operating procedure in streaming. HBO Max is raising rates to fund high-end shows, cover rising costs, and line up with where the rest of the market has already gone. New subs pay more today, current subs on November 20. And if you are sharing a login, plan for that to get harder.