Though it has long been one of the better values on the video streaming service market, discovery+ is now more expensive for select customers.
The streaming service that offers access to content from 21 popular channels is now asking customers to pay more for the ability to stream content ad-free.
Let’s take a look at the new pricing details.
Discovery+ Is Charging More for Ad-Free Streaming Subscriptions
Discovery+ has raised the monthly price for its ad-free subscription tier from $6.99 to $8.99 per month.
This change was announced in October 2023 and is effective immediately for new customers. Existing customers should check their bill for when the change will impact them. It should take effect on your upcoming billing cycle.
The ad-supported subscription remains $4.99 per month and was not impacted by this announcement.
Here’s a breakdown of the old and new pricing:
| Subscription Tier | Monthly Pricing Prior to October 2023 | New Monthly Pricing Effective October 2023 |
| Ad-supported discovery+ | $4.99 | $4.99 |
| Ad-free discovery+ | $6.99 | $8.99 |
What Is discovery+?
Discovery+ is an on-demand video streaming service that features both original content and popular shows from 21 different television networks.
While you can’t stream live channels on this service, the library of on-demand content is more than 55,000 hours deep. That includes more than 70,000 episodes of series from HGTV, History Channel, A&E, TLC, Food Network and more.
And with personalities like Chip and Joanna Gaines, the Property Brothers and Guy Fieri on board to star in new shows for the streaming service, discovery+ already has an impressive library of original content.
Should You Consider Upgrading to Max Instead?
Now that discovery+ has announced a price increase, it may be time to assess whether it’s still the right choice for streaming your favorite content from these channels.
That’s because Max (formerly known as HBO Max) is also owned by Warner Bros. Discovery and offers the ability to stream much of the same content that is offered by discovery+.
Max has an ad-supported subscription that starts at $9.99 per month that gives you access to a large library of HBO exclusives, movies and more in addition to discovery+ content. Unlike discovery+, Max also has live streaming for news and sports, giving users access to other Warner Bros. Discovery products like CNN, MLB on TBS, NBA and NHL on TNT, and NCAA basketball March Madness.
If you were paying for the ad-free version of discovery+, it now would only cost an additional $1 per month to step into the ad-supported Max ecosystem. And if you still want the ad-free experience, Max also offers that for $15.99 per month.
It’s worth noting that discovery+ does still have some shows that are exclusive to that streaming platform and do not appear on Max, so you’ll want to check to see if Max offers your favorite discovery+ shows before making the switch.
Final Thoughts
Discovery+ is the latest video streaming service to up the price on its ad-free experience.
This tactic, which has been utilized by competitors like Disney+, Hulu and Netflix in recent times, makes the ad-supported subscriptions more attractive to many customers.
And, though it seems weird to drive consumers to pay less for the ad-supported tier, that’s actually by design.
Streaming services are able to charge more for advertisements on their platforms when they’re able to show higher subscription numbers on their ad-supported tiers.
So, from a financial perspective, they’re going to make sure they more than make up for that lost revenue if they’re going to allow you to enjoy an ad-free experience. That’s why we see the steady price increase for ad-free subscription tiers.
Will this price increase change your viewing habits? Will you change your discovery+ subscription tier? Or maybe consider subscribing to Max instead? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the Clark.com community.
