When HBO Max became Max in May, Warner Bros. Discovery said existing subscribers on the ad-free plan would be able to keep certain benefits (like 4K streaming) for at least the next six months without needing to spend more money. . Well, we’re about to hit the six-month mark and, right on cue, the party’s over. That’s all folks.
Max is sending emails to affected customers, letting them know that while their monthly price of $15.99 will remain the same going forward, they will lose a couple of benefits starting December 5th.
Specifically, 4K (and HDR) streaming will be removed for traditional customers; They will now be limited to HD quality, just as anyone signing up for Max’s ad-free tier today would be. If they want to keep 4K playback, they’ll need to upgrade to the “ultimate” plan, which costs $19.99 per month.
Older ad-free subscribers also got one additional simulcast (for a total of three) compared to the standard two that new signups on the $15.99 plan typically receive. That benefit will also be history starting with the December billing cycle. The edge has reached out to WBD to clarify whether any subset of customers will be eligible to maintain these benefits.
Downloads are not affected by this change: both existing and existing ad-free customers can save up to 30 titles on compatible devices for offline viewing when they don’t have a data connection.
Max’s cheapest “with ads” tier costs $9.99, and while it doesn’t include offline downloads, it still allows for two simultaneous streams and offers HD picture quality. The service recently introduced an optional sports add-on that is free until February 29, but will cost another $9.99 a month thereafter for customers who want to keep it.
