HBO Max’s ad-free tier is about to cost you more.

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Effective Jan. 12, the price of a new HBO Max ad-free monthly subscription in the U.S. will increase from $14.99 to $15.99, the streaming service announced Thursday. 

Existing HBO Max subscribers who currently pay $14.99 per month will see their monthly rate increase to $15.99 beginning with their next billing cycle, on or after Saturday, Feb. 11.

For those keeping track at home, that is more than the monthly rate for Netflix’s ad-free subscription tier, which currently costs $15.49/month.

The HBO Max price hike — which marks the first time the streamer has increased the cost of a monthly subscription since its launch in May 2020 — will supposedly allow the streaming service “to continue to invest in providing even more culture-defining programming and improving our customer experience for all users.” It follows a ruthless cancellation spree, during which parent company Warner Bros. Discovery oversaw the scrapping of already-filmed movies (Batgirl), cancellations of shows in progress (Westworld), “un-renewals” (Minx), snuffed premieres (the animated Batman: Caped Crusader) and the seemingly random removal of titles from the streaming service (Raised by Wolves, Gordita Chronicles, select Looney Tunes episodes), all in an effort to hit a $3.5 billion target in cost savings.

Warner Bros. Discovery previously announced that it will combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single, unified streaming service this spring (exact date TBA). The revamped service is expected to be called Max.

Is it worth that extra dollar a month, though? Vote in our poll, and hit the comments below to share your thoughts on the news.

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