Netflix Affords Replace On Subscription Costs, HBO Max Entry Submit WB Buy: “Nothing Is Altering… At present”

Netflix has shared an replace on subscription costs and the way forward for HBO Max. This comes within the wake of the announcement on December 5 that the streaming big can be buying Warner Bros. (together with its movie and tv studios in addition to HBO’s community and streaming service) for $83 billion.

Netflix despatched an electronic mail to subscribers at 12:43 a.m. ET asserting what subscribers can count on within the fast future. They’ve reassured customers that “nothing is altering at the moment“ and that HBO Max “will proceed to function individually” in the intervening time. It is because the deal has not totally been closed.

The Netflix deal nonetheless must be accredited by shareholders and regulatory our bodies, and the general technique of buying Warner Bros. (which is itself nonetheless within the technique of splitting from Discovery following their 2022 merger) is anticipated to take between 12 and 18 months. Nonetheless, as soon as that point has elapsed, issues might nonetheless change.

Netflix shares that “you will hear from us when we now have extra to share.” Learn the related paragraph from their electronic mail under:

Nothing is altering at the moment. Each streaming companies will proceed to function individually. We have now extra steps to finish earlier than the deal is closed, together with regulatory and shareholder approvals. You’ll hear from us when we now have extra to share. Within the meantime, we hope you’ll proceed to get pleasure from watching as a lot as you need, everytime you need – all in your present membership plan.

Netflix’s electronic mail additionally hyperlinks to an FAQ web page assuring subscribers that adjustments is not going to be made till the deal is closed. They repeat that “nothing is altering together with your membership at the moment,” that subscription costs usually are not at the moment being modified, and that nothing is altering with customers’ watch histories, profiles, or suggestions.

Nonetheless, the reassuring statements are dotted with phrases together with “at the moment” and “at the moment,” leaving room for a significant overhaul to probably happen as soon as the deal is formally closed, most certainly in 2027.

This reassurance echoes Netflix’s replace about the way forward for Warner Bros.’ theatrical distribution. Throughout a media convention name on December 5, Netflix co-EO Ted Sarandos stated that the present deliberate theatrical releases from Warner Bros. will nonetheless be put out in theaters.

Whereas that is topic to alter, the discharge schedule as beforehand introduced consists of the upcoming Dune: Half Three, Supergirl, Mortal Kombat II, Godzilla x Kong: Supernova, A Minecraft Film 2, The Batman – Half II, and Man of Tomorrow. Nonetheless, Sarandos implied that future releases could shift, saying that “I believe the [release] home windows will evolve to be rather more client pleasant.”

Whereas Netflix subscriptions will very probably change when the deal is closed, this assurance doesn’t essentially imply that pricing will stay the identical for the following full yr. After introducing an ad-supported tier in late 2022, Netflix has instituted a collection of periodic worth hikes, with the latest happening in January 2025 following the elimination of the most affordable ad-free tier in July 2024.

Given the ever-shifting nature of the subscription mannequin, there is no such thing as a assure that Netflix costs can be untouched by the top of 2026. It’s unclear if HBO Max will totally merge with the platform after that time (like Hulu and Disney+ in 2026), probably main to a different worth hike, but when the deal will get full approval, some sort of huge change will assuredly be on the horizon.