Ugh, Max subscription prices might be going up again<p>Your
cable streaming bill may be getting more expensive once again. Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) is reportedly planning another price increase for <a data-i13n="cpos:1;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/tag/max/">
Max[/url]. <a data-i13n="cpos:2;pos:1" href="
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-05-08/warner-bros-discovery-plans-fresh-cost-cuts-hike-in-max-price">
Bloomberg[/url] didn't reveal how much WBD is expected to jack up the subscription by. The cheapest ad-free plan is currently $16 per month after a $1 increase <a data-i13n="cpos:3;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/hbo-max-price-increase-ad-free-170242563.html">
in early 2023[/url]. WBD is said to be aiming for $1 billion in earnings from Max and Discovery+ next year.</p>
<p>We could find out about any Max price increase as soon as Thursday. That's when WBD will report its earnings for the first three months of the year.</p>
<span id="end-legacy-contents"></span><p>The price increase may be on the way as part of WBD's seemingly never-ending cost-cutting drive. As part of that, more layoffs may be in the pipeline. Over the last year, the company has fired more than 2,000 people and eliminated their positions.</p>
<p>Very soon after WBD formed in 2022 following a <a data-i13n="cpos:4;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/warnermedia-discovery-merger-hbo-max-discovery-plus-214335645.html">
merger[/url] between WarnerMedia and Discovery, CEO David Zazlav went into extreme costcutting mode as the company was saddled with over $50 billion in debt. The company quickly <a data-i13n="cpos:5;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/cnn-plus-shutting-down-warner-bros-discovery-155908886.html">
axed the just-launched CNN+[/url], <a data-i13n="cpos:6;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/hbo-max-layoffs-reality-kids-programming-184222650.html">
laid off staff[/url], <a data-i13n="cpos:7;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/hbo-max-halts-original-productions-across-large-parts-of-europe-130226456.html">
canceled[/url] <a data-i13n="cpos:8;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/hbo-max-batman-animated-series-jj-abrams-bruce-timm-170056366.html">
projects[/url], <a data-i13n="cpos:9;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/westworld-the-nevers-to-leave-hbo-max-101455395.html">
moved shows and movies[/url] from Max <a data-i13n="cpos:10;pos:1" href="
https://www.engadget.com/westworld-and-other-canned-hbo-shows-are-now-streaming-on-roku-for-free-183106349.html">
to ad-supported streaming services[/url] and shelved completed or nearly finished movies in favor of tax breaks.</p>
<p>Zazlav has reduced WBD's debt load by around $10 billion so far, according to
Bloomberg. However, his decisions have infuriated creatives and many fans, such as those who are clamoring for the company to release the highly regarded live-action Looney Tunes film <a data-i13n="cpos:11;pos:1" href="
https://www.theringer.com/movies/2024/2/12/24070471/coyote-vs-acme-movie-canceled-new-yorker-article-news-warner-wbd-zaslav">
Coyote vs. Acme[/url] instead of canning it for a tax rebate.</p>
<p>Coincidentally,
Variety on Wednesday published a list of <a data-i13n="cpos:12;pos:1" href="
https://variety.com/lists/ceo-pay-2023-media-salaries/amazon-2/">
media and tech CEOs' pay packages[/url] for 2023. Zazlav's compensation is said to have shot up by 26.5 percent to $49.7 million. That's around 290 times what the median WBD employee makes.</p>This article originally appeared on Engadget at
https://www.engadget.com/ugh-max-subscription-prices-might-be-going-up-again-181332420.html?src=rssSource:
Ugh, Max subscription prices might be going up again
