Furious Max users follow Netflix fans' lead by cancelling their subscriptions after recent price hike

It’s max price, minimum content

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Yesterday (June 4), HBO’s streaming serviceMax shocked with an immediate subscription increaseacross all of its ad-free tiers, which has sparked outrage from fans on social media with many arguing that the higher price isn’t justified, due to a lack of original content.

This news has not gone down well with customers – and comes after similar subscriber criticisms such asNetflix’s decision to remove its Basic tierandSpotify’s recent price hike, both of which are unwelcome changes to people’s subscription packages.

The increase comes ahead of theHouse of the Dragonseason twopremiere, a hotly anticipated return that is expected to bring in plenty of viewers. But recent changes could mean people won’t be watching the series on demand.

I see that @StreamOnMax is raising it’s price just as House of Dragons 2 is being released. I really hope they understand I’m cancelling immediately after this show airs. The streaming services have gotten OUT OF CONTROL.June 4, 2024

Why are people leaving Max?

One angry customer tweeted that they’d be cancelling their subscription as a result of the hike, deciding to leave before the extra charge would hit their accounts during their next billing cycle.

“Canceling my subscription for Max, you guys just did a price hike, and now you’re doing another one??? While also removing a lot of content and less streams per user??? How is that an effective business strategy?,” they wrote.

Another noted that the recent cancellation of the hit seriesOur Flag Means Deathhad sparked their decision to leave Max, with plenty of others criticising the streaming service for not giving people enough content to justify the price increase.

Ummm @StreamOnMax first cancels my favorite show (@OurFlagOnMax) for no reason and now is raising the subscription price???? lol byeeeee cancelling now 👋🏻👋🏻👋🏻 #saveOFMD #DontStreamOnMaxJune 4, 2024

Another claimed that it’ll be more cost effective to ditch the best streaming services and bring back cable, noting that there have been a number ofsimilar price hikes recently from the likes of Peacock, for instance.

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If @StreamOnMax keeps raising their prices their going to start losing subscribers. With all these price hikes from streaming services, it’s almost more cost efficient to reconnect that “cable” we all cut. #pricehikes #streamingJune 4, 2024

This is the second time Max has raised prices for its ad-free tiers since its launch.In 2023, the streamerraised the ad-free tier price from $14.99 to $15.99 a month, saying it would “allow it to invest in its content and user experience”.

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Lucy is a long-time movie and television lover who is an approved critic on Rotten Tomatoes. She has written several reviews in her time, starting with a small self-ran blog called Lucy Goes to Hollywood before moving onto bigger websites such as What’s on TV and What to Watch, with TechRadar being her most recent venture. Her interests primarily lie within horror and thriller, loving nothing more than a chilling story that keeps her thinking moments after the credits have rolled. Many of these creepy tales can be found on the streaming services she covers regularly.

When she’s not scaring herself half to death with the various shows and movies she watches, she likes to unwind by playing video games on Easy Mode and has no shame in admitting she’s terrible at them. She also quotes The Simpsons religiously and has a Blinky the Fish tattoo, solidifying her position as a complete nerd.

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