One week after the Paramount–Warner Bros. Discovery combination closed to form Skydance Corp., Discovery+ is resetting what U.S. subscribers pay. The move is a pricing signal at the start of a new ownership era, and it lands before any larger streaming consolidation takes shape.
The new U.S. rates
Starting Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, Discovery+ is raising both U.S. plans. The ad-supported tier climbs $1 to $6.99 per month, while the ad-free tier climbs $2 to $11.99 per month.
- Ad-supported: now $6.99 per month, up $1
- Ad-free: now $11.99 per month, up $2
- New subscribers: pay the higher rates immediately
- Existing subscribers: get 30 days’ notice, with updated bills on or after Nov. 12, 2026
Why the timing matters
Variety reports the increase was likely planned before the merger, so it is not necessarily Skydance’s first strategic act. Still, it arrives in the same news cycle as the deal close, and it sharpens the tier architecture. The gap between the ad-supported and ad-free plans widens from $4 to $5 per month—about $60 a year—making the ad tier a more explicit value option for price-sensitive households.
Discovery+ remains the streaming home for unscripted and lifestyle programming from HGTV, Food Network, TLC, ID, Discovery, Animal Planet and Magnolia Network. Franchises such as 90 Day Fiancé, Sister Wives, Ghost Adventures, Gold Rush and Deadliest Catch, plus shows from Chip and Joanna Gaines, Guy Fieri and Bobby Flay, anchor that library. Some of that content also appears on HBO Max.
The streaming endgame
For media planners and streaming professionals, the question is where Discovery+ fits. Skydance has said it will keep its streaming services as they are for now, then eventually consolidate HBO Max and Paramount+ into a single product, according to chairman and CEO David Ellison. If that combined service prices at a premium, Discovery+ could remain a lower-cost complement. If not, its catalog could become a retention layer inside the larger app.
The near-term takeaway is simpler: after the merger closes, the standalone service is asking U.S. subscribers to pay more before any bundle or product changes arrive. That is worth tracking as a pricing architecture statement.
Source: Variety
