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HBO Max Slashes Annual Plan 40% Ahead of Dragon Premiere

6/18/2026

24 3 Full Breakdown

Summary

**HBO Max Cuts**

HBO Max cuts its annual plan price by 40 percent.
The discount applies only to annual subscriptions and ends on July 15, 2026.
House of the Dragon season three premieres on June 21, 2026, with eight episodes.
Early reviews give the season a 97 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Summary

**Warner Discount Launch**

Warner Bros. Discovery launches a 40% discount while its Paramount Skydance merger remains under review, to close September 2026.
Customers can get $78.99 Basic With Ads, $132.99 Standard, $164.99 Premium on HBOMax.com, Amazon Prime Video, Roku Channel.
The offer aligns with a slate featuring the film “Lanterns,” series “Stuart Fails To Save The Universe,” and documentary “Earth, Wind & Fire (To Be Celestial vs. That’s the Weight of the World).”

History

Historical Context

Netflix introduced a $7.99 streaming-only plan in July 2011, under CEO Reed Hastings, cutting its price and spurring subscriber growth among competitors seeking to retain viewers. The move followed its 2007 launch, which offered only 1,000 streaming titles versus 70,000 DVDs, and set a precedent for the ad-supported tier launched in 2022.

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**HBO Max Cuts**

HBO Max cuts its annual plan price by 40 percent.
The discount applies only to annual subscriptions and ends on July 15, 2026.
House of the Dragon season three premieres on June 21, 2026, with eight episodes.
Early reviews give the season a 97 percent critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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