It’s price-hike-o’clock for Discovery+ subscribers, with the streaming service poised to raise the rates for both its ad-free and ad-supported plans.
Starting now, the price for the ad-free version of Discovery+ will go up to $9.99 a month, up a buck from the previous $8.99/month rate.
Meanwhile, the monthly rate for ad-supported Discovery+ is also going up by a dollar, bringing the new price to $5.99 a month.
Those rates are effective now for new Discovery+ subscribers, according to Variety, while existing Discovery+ users will see the price hike reflected on their first bill after February 7.
Discovery+ hasn’t had a price increase since October 2023, when the price for the ad-free version of the service went up by $2 a month, from a price of $6.99/month.
The ad-supported version of Discovery+ didn’t get a price hike in 2023—or at least, not in the U.S., although Discovery+ streamers in Canada did get a $1 CAD/month increase to $5.99 CAD a month.
Much of Discovery+’s programming is now incorporated into Max, which rebranded itself from “HBO Max” back in May 2023.
Originally, the plan was for the new Max to gobble up Discovery+ completely, but Warner Bros. Discovery ultimately changed course, opting to keep Discovery+ around as a standalone option for budget-minded streamers.
Of course, Max went through its own round of price hikes last year, with ad-free Max subscribers getting hit with modest price increases.
Specifically, the standard Max Ad-Free tier went up to $16.99 a month, up from $15.99/month, while the Ultimate Ad-Free plan (which includes 4K HDR streaming) went up to $20.99 a month, up from $19.99/month.
Discovery+ is the home of such streaming shows as Chopped, Ghost Adventures, Home Town, Darcy & Stacey, Rock the Block, Murdaugh Murders, Gold Rush, and more.
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer, TechHive
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he has covered everything from smart speakers and soundbars to smart lights and security cameras. Ben's articles have also appeared in PC Magazine, TIME, Wired, CNET, Men's Fitness, Mobile Magazine, and more. Ben holds a master's degree in English literature.