Access to series and films via subscription is an increasingly expensive expense, so we check how Netflix, HBO Max and Disney+ are currently performing.
How much will we pay after the increases?
Netflix has raised prices in Poland and now the Basic plan – offering HD image and one screen – costs PLN 37 per month, instead of the current PLN 33. The Standard plan (Full HD, two screens at the same time) costs PLN 55 instead of PLN 49, and the Premium plan with 4K HDR image and the ability to watch on four screens simultaneously has increased to PLN 75, previously it was PLN 67.
Today, on HBO Max, the basic package with ads costs PLN 29.99, the Standard package without ads and Full HD costs PLN 39.99, and the Premium package with 4K UHD and Dolby Atmos sound costs PLN 49.99. It is also worth knowing that if you pay for the entire year in advance, you can pay PLN 299, PLN 399 or PLN 499, which means significant savings for higher plans. On Disney+, the standard package costs PLN 34.99 per month and provides Full HD 1080p image, 5.1 sound and two screens at the same time. The Premium plan is priced at PLN 59.99 per month – we get 4K UHD with Dolby Atmos and four screens at the same time. Alternatively, the packages can be paid annually for PLN 349.90 or PLN 599.90, respectively, so there is also the option of some savings.
Content library – who has more to offer?
Netflix is still the platform with the most extensive library and the largest production budget in the world. In addition to high-profile hits of its own production – series, films, documentaries and stand-ups – the website regularly enriches its offer with new premieres from almost every corner of the globe, as well as classics to which viewers eagerly return (as seen in the TOP 10). Netflix’s strength is its diversity: Korean thrillers, Scandinavian crime stories, A-grade Hollywood productions and niche documentaries about everything. The weakness is certainly uneven quality, because the enormous amount of content also means many filler titles.
HBO Max uses a completely different approach. For years, the platform has been building a brand based on prestige: this is where HBO productions – creators of series that set the standards for premium television – land. Currently, the platform still maintains a strong position thanks to new seasons of productions that dominate conversations and reviews. Some people call Apple TV the new HBO, but the legend of the pay cable channel is still strong and their series constantly attract a lot of viewers. An additional advantage of HBO Max is access to Warner Bros. films. shortly after their cinema premiere and an extensive library of classic titles, animations, Discovery documentaries and the TVN library (although incomplete, because a large part of it is still on Player).
Disney+, on the other hand, is a platform defined by large franchises. Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, Disney classics and National Geographic productions create a set that is essential for some viewers, but secondary for others. If your audience includes a child or teenager fascinated by superheroes, Disney+ is practically mandatory. The problem is that apart from this list, the content is sometimes narrower than that of the competition – Hulu or FX series constantly expand the library, just like other titles for mature viewers, and the catalog includes large cinema productions (20th Century Stidios and others), compared to HBO Max or Netflix, Disney+ may not be the first choice for adult users.
Which service to choose? What strategy to adopt?
When comparing 4K offers, HBO Max comes out as the most advantageous proposition – Premium for PLN 49.99 per month is the lowest entry threshold into 4K quality with Dolby Atmos and four screens among the three giants. For comparison: Netflix Premium costs as much as PLN 75, and Disney+ Premium – PLN 59.99. If technical quality to price ratio is important, HBO Max in the Premium plan is hard to beat. The total cost of three subscriptions in Premium versions is now over PLN 180 per month – an amount that was unthinkable just a few years ago in the context of access to VOD platforms, which is why more and more people give up paying for everything at the same time in favor of rotating subscriptions: one or two services for a few months, then change.
