Setting aside the very specific, unenviable situation that HBO Max finds itself in, the fact of the matter is that the streaming landscape is in flux right now. Cord-cutting has accelerated, forcing media giants like Warner Bros. Discovery to try to make up cable and/or satellite revenue elsewhere. For years, many believed that streaming revenue could make up the difference. Unfortunately, as we’ve seen, that simply hasn’t been the case. That’s why AMC recently had to lay off a ton of employees, and it’s why streaming subscribers are being asked to pay more money. The bills have to be paid. And premium shows like “The Last of Us” don’t come cheap.
The average Joe, meanwhile, is reckoning with how best to go about a media budget. With music it’s relatively easy. A Spotify or Apple Music subscription should do it. For movies and TV? We’ve got Netflix, Peacock, HBO Max, Apple TV+, Amazon Prime Video, and many others, including outstanding niche services like Shudder, to choose from. Most people don’t want to shell out upwards of $80 per month to have all of these services at once. Price increases, though largely necessary, are certainly walking a tricky line as any customer can simply take their business elsewhere.
As for HBO Max, it will soon be a thing of the past anyhow – sort of. WBD is currently planning to launch a new service that will merge HBO Max with Discovery+ later this year. No word on what that service will be called or what it will cost, but with the added value, one assumes the company will surely look to reflect that value in the price point. In short, guard your wallets, everyone.