CEO David Zaslav Sees HBO Max as Highly Underpriced

Prepare for an increase in subscription costs.

HBO Max Pricing Strategy

David Zaslav, the popular CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, is of the opinion that HBO Max is significantly undervalued concerning its subscription pricing. During a presentation at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference, Zaslav asserted that the high caliber of the company’s content across film, television production, and streaming services justifies an increase in subscription costs.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Zaslav stated, 'We believe that our quality across all sectors—including movies, television, and streaming—affords us the leverage to consider raising our prices. Currently, we are notably underpriced.'

Current Subscription Rates

The recently rebranded HBO Max has set its starting rate at $9.99 monthly, with advertisements included, and goes up to a maximum of $20.99 per month for the premium plan, positioning it in a similar pricing bracket as its competitors.

Crackdown on Password Sharing

In addition to the potential for increased pricing, Zaslav also indicated that HBO Max intends to curtail password sharing among users. This measure supports a previous commitment made during a Warner Bros. Discovery earnings call last month, where the company vowed to adopt a more stringent approach to this issue starting in September.