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HBO Max Cuts Price in Half for Customers Following HBO’s Amazon Prime Exit

HBO Max is cutting its price in half for new and returning customers in attempt to offset the loss of users who subscribed to HBO through Amazon’s Prime Video Channels, following the Sept. 15 end of that deal, WarnerMedia revealed Friday.

The promotional offer is good through Sept. 26 and will allow those who take advantage up to six months of ad-free HBO Max at 50% off, so $7.49/month.

Per HBO Max, “Starting today, those who accessed HBO via Prime Video Channels, as well as all new and returning HBO Max subscribers, can enjoy their favorite HBO programming and HBO Max’s more than 13,000 hours of content, on the HBO Max ad-free monthly plan at a 50% discount. This new limited time promotion of $7.49 per month for up to six months is available through September 26. Customers can sign up at HBOMax.com or via the following distribution partners: Apple, Google, LG, Microsoft, Sony, Roku and Vizio.”

The currently AT&T-owned (but soon to be Discovery-owned) WarnerMedia recently made the decision to no longer offer HBO subscriptions through Amazon Channels in the U.S., in accordance with the company’s goal to expand and cultivate its customer relationships, an individual with knowledge tells TheWrap. “With the loss of the roughly 5 million HBO subscribers who accessed the pay TV channel through Amazon Prime Video Channels, WarnerMedia anticipates its HBO Max and HBO domestic subscribers and net additions tally to take a big hit in Q3. But in an attempt to curb that loss, the decision to deeply discount HBO Max for new and returning customers (hopefully many of those who were previously users via Amazon) was made.

HBO Max and HBO totaled 47 million U.S. subscribers by the end of Q2, according to AT&T’s July 22 second-quarter 2021 earnings report. Per AT&T, HBO and HBO Max added 2.8 million domestic subscribers by the conclusion of the quarter ended June 30, with subscriptions up 10.7 million year over year. Worldwide, HBO and HBO Max hit 67.5 million, which is up 12 million over last year.

The insider says despite the loss of HBO subscribers through Amazon, WarnerMedia still expects to hit its previously estimated 70-73 million global HBO Max and HBO subscribers target by the end of 2021.