Ready to spend more? Warner Bros. Discovery just increased the price for ad-free Max streaming plans.

Variety reports that starting today (June 4), Max's ad-free tier will jump a dollar from $15.99 to $16.99 per month. Additionally, the annual plan will go up from $149.99 to $169.99. The ultimate ad-free tier will increase by $1 a month, making it $20.99 per month and $209.99 a year.

If you enjoy ads, the good news is that the ad-supported version is unchanged at $9.99 a month and $99.99 a year.

Luckily, the new costs won't affect current customers immediately. However, new users to the platform will experience the price hike as of now.

“Existing subscribers will be notified 30 days in advance of their plan renewing and see price increases starting from their next billing cycle on or after Thursday, July 4, 2024,” WBD states. “Current yearly subscribers will not see an increase until renewal.”

Why did Max increase prices?

The price increase is to help grow the ad-supported platform and, of course, increase profits.

This news comes as the much-anticipated House of the Dragon Season 2 will debut on June 16. Indeed, fans will have to cringe and pay the increase if they want uninterrupted access to the new season and are not subscribers yet. Smart move, Max.

Also, The Penguin, starring Colin Ferrell, is coming soon to the streamer. My Brilliant Friend, Industry, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Sort Of are also coming. You'll also be able to watch NBA, NHL, and some MLB games on the streamer.

In the first quarter of 2024, WBD streaming segment revenue was $2.46 billion. That said, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization totaled a whopping $86 million.

“With our strong start in Q1, I expect us to remain profitable in the [direct-to-consumer] segment during 2024, despite the heavy launch investments,” CFO Gunner Wiedenfels told during an earnings call. “I remain fully confident in our path to achieve our $1 billion-plus EBITDA target for 2025 and our growth ambitions thereafter.”

A letter to customers from Warner Bros. Discovery announcing the price increase said: “Max is the one to watch for iconic series, hit movies, fresh originals, family favorites, breaking news, and live sports, and this increase allows us to continue to invest in delivering more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users.”

If you'd like to know what option is best, here's the breakdown:

With Ads: Full HD video resolution and stream on two devices at once

Ad-Free: Full HD video resolution, 30 downloads to watch on the go, and stream on two devices at once

Ultimate Ad-Free: 4k Ultra HD video quality as available, Dolby Atmos immersive audio as available, stream on four devices at once, and 100 downloads to teach on the go (limits apply)

Whatever your budget allows and whatever sounds appealing, just get ready to pay more—unless you're watching ads. Let's hope that after this, Max puts the brakes on further price increases for a while.