Hulu Is Raising Price on HBO Max Add-on Days Before Launch of Max; One Way to Lock in Discount
Hulu Is Raising Price on HBO Max Add-on Days Before Launch of Max; One Way to Lock in Discount
The Hulu and HBO Max soft bundle has been popular with customers ever since it was first introduced. Hulu allows users of both its live TV streaming service and its on-demand platform to purchase an HBO Max subscription with their Hulu account, saving them the trouble of having to worry about separate bills.
There are some added financial benefits to subscribing to HBO Max in this manner. For one thing, Hulu’s HBO Max add-on comes with a seven-day free trial, something users who subscribe to just HBO Max on its own don’t get. Then there’s the price; ad-free HBO Max is currently $15.99 per month as a standalone subscription, but signing up through Hulu used to come with a $1 per month discount. However, that sadly appears to be changing.
Hulu's Help page on the topic of HBO Max confirms that the add-on is rising in price from the discounted $14.99 per month to the standard $15.99 per month on Wednesday, May 17, just six days before Warner Bros. Discovery relaunches HBO Max as “Max” on May 23. Most users will see their HBO Max apps change over to Max automatically, whether they’re subscribed through Hulu or not.
Starting May 17, there will be only one way to get a discount on HBO if you want to stick with Hulu, and that is by signing up for an annual plan directly through HBO Max. That locks in a price of $149.99 per year, which means you’ll save over $40 over the course of the year (coming to about $12.50 per month). Or you can opt to go even cheaper with the ad-supported tier, which is only $100 per year. Here’s how to do it before May 17, 2023:
Part 1: Save on HBO:
- Visit HBOMax.com
- Select the ad-supported plan ($99.99/year) or the ad-free plan ($149.99/year)
- Follow the account creation prompts
- Pay and get the discount
Part 2: Cancel Your HBO Add-On with Hulu
- Visit your Hulu Account page (hulu.com/account)
- Under the Your Subscription area, select “Manage Plan”
- Uncheck the HBO Max add-on
- Confirm your choices by selecting “Review Changes”
Are There Other HBO Discounts?
HBO Max users who have subscribed through Hulu are the only HBO Max customer segments who will see their price go up when Max launches. That is because most ad-free HBO Max users have been paying $15.99 per month for the service since January. Amazon Prime Video and YouTube TV’s Entertainment Package (which also includes Showtime and Starz, but is $29.99 per month now) have already upped their prices. Last month, WBD confirmed that prices will not increase for Max from the $9.99 per month for ad-supported streaming, or $15.99 per month for ad-free streaming that is currently in place.
So, as far as Hulu subscribers go, an HBO discount is off the table. However, you may still be able to snag HBO for free by being part of Cricket Wireless or AT&T.
- Cricket’s $60-per-month Unlimited Plan comes with a free ad-supported version of HBO Max at no additional cost.
- AT&T’s Unlimited plans include HBO Max at no additional cost, but you must choose this as your “Premium Option.”
- You may also have luck calling your own cable or satellite providers and asking them to throw in HBO for free (you never know if it won’t work until you try).
If you are an HBO Max subscriber through Hulu and your price is about to increase, the good news is that you’ll have access to quite a bit more content for your extra $1 per month. Max will combine the library of HBO Max with most of the titles currently available exclusively on discovery+. That means a Max subscription will offer thousands more hours than HBO Max did, essentially meaning you’re adding another premium streaming service for just $1 per month.
HBO Max
HBO Max is a subscription video streaming service that gives access to the full HBO library and exclusive Max Originals. There are hubs for content from TLC, HGTV, Food Network, Discovery, TCM, Cartoon Network, Travel Channel, ID, and more. Watch hit series like “The Last of Us,” “House of the Dragon,” “Succession,” “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” and more. Within HBO Max, B/R Sports allows users to watch live NBA, MLB, NHL, March Madness, and NASCAR events.