Max Gives College Students 50% Off

HBO’s streaming platform, Max, has announced a significant new offer for college students: a 50% discount on its ad-supported subscription plan. This move aligns with a broader trend among streaming services to attract younger audiences with substantial discounts, aiming to build a loyal customer base that might convert to full-price subscriptions after graduation. The discount, which reduces the monthly fee for Max’s ad-supported plan from $10 to $5, will be available for a full year. Students can access this offer by verifying their enrollment status through UNiDays, a platform that facilitates student discounts. They can continue to receive the discounted rate as long as they remain enrolled in college, with the option to re-verify their status periodically.

Max’s pricing strategy reflects a competitive landscape among major streaming services. The platform’s ad-supported plan is priced at $10 per month, while the ad-free version costs $17. Despite the high costs, Max’s subscriber base, currently at 19.8 million, is growing. However, it still trails behind competitors such as Netflix, Hulu, Paramount+, Peacock, and Disney+ in terms of total subscribers. According to data from Antenna, Max added 609,947 paid subscribers in the first five months of 2024, bringing its total to 19.8 million as of May 2024. This growth indicates a positive trend, though the service remains a smaller player compared to leading streaming platforms.

Max’s new student discount is part of a broader trend where subscription-based streaming services offer enticing deals to college students. This strategy is designed not only to attract new users but also to foster long-term loyalty, hoping that these users will transition to full-price subscriptions once they are no longer students. Hulu, owned by Disney, provides a remarkable 65% discount for its ad-supported plan, reducing the monthly fee to just $1.99 for students. Similarly, Peacock offers the same deal to college students for up to 12 months. Amazon Prime Video extends a six-month free trial to college students, followed by a 50% discount, while Paramount+ offers a 25% discount on its basic plan, lowering the monthly fee to $4.50. Apple provides a combined package of its music streaming service and Apple TV+ for $5.99 per month for up to 48 months for students.

In contrast, Netflix does not offer a dedicated student discount, and while Disney+ does not have direct student offers, students occasionally find deals through programs like UNiDays. Max’s strategy to offer significant discounts to college students reflects a growing trend among streaming services to use price incentives as a means to attract and retain subscribers. As the competition intensifies, such discounts could become a crucial factor in gaining market share and ensuring long-term growth in the highly competitive streaming industry. By targeting college students, Max and other streaming services are positioning themselves to capture a valuable demographic, potentially converting these users into full-price subscribers once they enter the workforce. This approach not only helps increase subscriber numbers but also aims to build brand loyalty among a key audience that will continue to shape the future of the streaming market.