You probably aren’t a big fan of the new HBO Max price, but maybe this will make up for it? (Spoiler: it won’t.)
On Wednesday, Oct. 22, HBO Max rolled out a new feedback system, inviting users to “Love,” “Like” or declare a title as “Not for Me.” It is the first such system across HBO Max and its preceding iterations/apps.
The new feedback system is available on select web and mobile devices and connected TVs, per HBO Max. The idea is for subscribers to provide “direct input that helps shape personalized recommendations.” Titles marked “Not for Me” will be “deprioritized,” while those marked “Love” will inform a tailored “Because You Loved” rail. “Likes” seems to have a pretty indifferent impact.
Netflix algorithm? Watch your back.
The feedback buttons will appear on the content details page of each title and in the player when a user finishes a movie or series.
A day earlier, HBO Max hiked its ad-supported base tier price by $1 per month to $10.99; the standard plan rose by $1.50 per month to $18.49 and the premium plan increased $2 per month to $22.99. Annual plans will rise by $10, $15 and $20 accordingly.
HBO Max is not the only streamer getting more expensive. Earlier this month, Disney hiked the prices of its Disney+ plans and bundles, and NBCUniversal’s Peacock raised its subscription price substantially in August ahead of the NBA season. Apple also raised the price of Apple TV by 30 percent in August, and Netflix raised its own prices early this year.
With greater revenue comes greater valuation. HBO parent Warner Bros. Discovery put out a giant “For Sale” sign on Tuesday, with company president and CEO David Zaslav stating that the WBD board of directors has been “receiving interest from multiple parties.” And they’re listening, Zaslav added. So is the stock market: shares of WBD are up about 10 percent since Zaslav and board publicly acknowledged their bidders.
