HBO Max offers heavy discounts, even as it sheds programming
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HBO Max (NASDAQ:WBD) has launched a hefty promotional plan for a limited time in order to lock in users, offering discounts to those who prepay for a year.
Those who sign up to the offer by Oct. 30 can get nearly 42% off the price if paid month-by-month: The HBO Max ad-free plan is being offered at $104.99 for the first year, vs. a total of $179.88 if paid month by month, while the plan with ads is offered at $69.99 for the first year, vs. a month-by-month price of $119.88.
Before the promotion, the prepaid year of ad-free cost $149.99 and the prepaid year of ad-supported cost $99.99.
It's available to U.S. customers who sign up through the website or through providers Roku, Google Play, Apple and Amazon.
Warner Bros. Discovery stock (WBD) is down 2.3% early Thursday.
That push for customer loyalty comes as Variety reported more content coming off the premium service as well as from Warner Bros. Discovery's (WBD) Discovery+ service, amid cost controls coming from new management (and ahead of a combination of the services set for summer 2023).
HBO Max will remove almost 36 titles as soon as this week, according to the report, and 20 original HBO Max shows.
That news follows some earlier cost-cutting revelations, as Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) canceled plans to release planned "Max originals" including Batgirl, a $90M film that was substantially ready for release.