Skydance’s Discovery+ prices increase by up to 20 percent

Discovery+ subscription prices went up today.

Ad-free plans for new subscribers went from $10 per month to $12/month. Ad-based plans went from $6 to $7.

The new prices take effect for new subscribers immediately. Current subscribers to the streaming service, which primarily features unscripted content, like reality shows and documentaries, will receive 30 days’ notice before the new prices take effect, starting with bills issued as of November 12.

The higher prices come a week after Paramount Skydance bought Discovery+ parent company Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), forming Skydance.

However, a Skydance spokesperson told Ars Technica that the pricing changes were in the works before Discovery+ knew about the merger’s closing date and were not planned in anticipation of a merger.

The spokesperson said that Discovery+’s prices are regularly evaluated to ensure that they are in line with the content and experience that the service offers, and the new prices reflect that.

Discovery+ has increased its prices three times since launching in 2012. Before today, the most recent price hike occurred in January 2025, when ad-based monthly subscriptions increased from $5 to $6, and ad-free plans went from $9 to $10.

Discovery+ has been a smaller streaming venture for WBD, whose flagship streaming service was HBO Max. However, the service has been profitable since at least 2023, and executives have noted its low cancellation rates. In a February earnings call, JB Perette, WBD’s CEO and president of global streaming and games, confirmed Discovery+’s continuing profitability and called the service “a tremendous opportunity” with “a lot more ahead for us,” per a transcript.

In 2022, WBD said Discovery+ had 24 million subscribers. Further details about the niche streaming service’s subscriber count or profitability haven’t been provided.

We have yet to see what changes the new media conglomerate Skydance will make to Discovery+ in the coming months. In an announcement last week, Skydance said it would combine all of its direct-to-consumer streaming services, which would include Paramount+ and the newly acquired Discovery+ and HBO Max ,“into a single service over time.” That combined service could be expensive, especially given Discovery+’s new price.

Scharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter
Scharon HardingSenior Technology Reporter
Scharon is a Senior Technology Reporter at Ars Technica writing news, reviews, and analysis on consumer gadgets and services. She’s been reporting on technology for over 10 years, with bylines at Tom’s Hardware, Channelnomics, and CRN UK.

Source: arstechnica.com