Old School. Biblically Independent.
By Dustin Rowles | News | October 21, 2025
I really like HBO Max. They have Task! And The Chair Company! But also, HBO Max typically only has two or three series running at the same time (plus Last Week Tonight), and at a certain juncture, there’s a pinch point where it no longer makes sense to keep paying more for the same amount of content.
Yes, HBO Max is raising its rates again. The Basic with Ads plan is going up $1 a month to $10.99, the Standard plan is increasing by $1.50 to $18.49, and the Premium plan is rising by $2 to $22.99. I really don’t want to watch ads, but I may have to. The content on HBO Max is better, but when it costs as much as Netflix—which churns out ten times more content—it’s hard to justify the expense.
The new prices take effect immediately for new subscribers and in the next billing cycle after November 20 for existing ones.
The price hikes may have to do with the fact that, after rejecting Skydance’s initial offer for Warner Bros., David Ellison has decided to get more aggressive in his bid. Now, Warner Bros. Discovery has officially put itself up for sale. That means more corporations can bid on the company, potentially driving up the price and injecting new uncertainty into its future. Maybe Skydance buys it and merges it with Paramount. Maybe Comcast buys it and merges with Peacock.
What’s clear, however, is that more media consolidation is coming—and that may or may not involve more capitulation to this administration so a deal can go through. In other words: watch out, John Oliver.
