Have you ever been in this situation? You open your HBO Max app to watch the movie you downloaded, and you see the dreaded message: “Download Expired. Please connect to the internet.”
It’s one of the biggest frustrations of modern streaming. You follow the rules, you use the official download feature, and you still can’t watch your show when you need it most. Now, this experience is about to cost you even more.
The 2025 HBO Max Price Hike: What You’ll Pay
Get ready to check your subscription. Starting in 2025, HBO Max is increasing prices for its existing subscribers. According to recent financial reports, the new monthly costs are climbing.
Here is the new pricing structure for current subscribers:
- Basic (With Ads): Will increase to $10.99/month
- Standard: Will increase to $18.49/month
- Premium (4K): Will increase to $22.99/month
Many users are asking the same question: “Why am I paying more for the same (or fewer) features?” This price hike makes every frustration—like content leaving the service or downloads that delete themselves—feel much worse.
Paying More, but Do You Own Your Content?
The price is one problem. The other is control.
When you use the official “download” button on the HBO Max app, you don’t actually own that video file. You are only “renting” it for a short time.
This leads to the common questions we see in online forums:
- “Why do my HBO Max downloads disappear after 48 hours?”
- “Why can’t I download every movie or show?”
- “How many devices can I even download on?”
These are all fair questions. The built-in HBO Max download limit is a major issue. Most downloads expire 30 days after you download them or 48 hours after you first press play. If you pay $22.99 a month, shouldn’t you be able to watch House of the Dragon on your laptop without it expiring?
A Better Way: Keep Your HBO Max Downloads Forever
This is the point at which you cease renting and start owning. You can save your content permanently with a separate tool instead of relying on HBO’s temporary option. This is exactly what a tool like StreamGaGa HBO Max Downloader is made for.
The idea is simple: StreamGaGa allows you download any HBO Max movie or episode and store it to your PC as an MP4 file of great quality.
- No Expiration: An MP4 file never “expires.” It’s yours.
- Watch Anywhere: Move the file to your laptop, tablet, or phone. No internet connection needed, ever.
- Keep Your Library: Even if a show is removed from HBO Max, you still have your copy. If you cancel your subscription, you still have your downloads.
This tool makes the entire HBO Max download process simple. You get to keep what you paid for, in high-definition (up to 1080p) with all the audio tracks and subtitles you need.
StreamGaGa helps you check the quality and captions, and organize your collection. The queue lets you get episodes ready ahead of time. Click the “Download Now” button after choosing how you want to download. You can download the HBO Max videos to your computer and then move them to any other device you like.

Conclusion
The 2025 HBO Max price increase is coming. Paying nearly $23 a month for the Premium plan just to have your downloads delete themselves is a tough pill to swallow.
Don’t let your favorite shows disappear. It’s time to get your streaming library under control. You can make your own permanent, offline collection by using a trustworthy HBO Max downloader like StreamGaGa. It’s the prudent thing to do to make sure you receive your money’s worth.

