Recurly Fall ’25 launches with Compass AI, HBO Max hikes, CNN bundle

Welcome back to Subscriptions Weekly! We took a short break, and for good reason. We’re thrilled to unveil the Recurly Fall ’25 Release, built to power subscriber growth for the AI era.

This release uses AI, automation, and global flexibility to help brands grow their subscriptions faster and smarter than ever before. From configuring new plans in seconds to scaling across borders, every update was designed to make growth easier, not harder.

And at the center of it all? Recurly Compass.

Compass is your new AI-powered co-pilot, a strategist that understands your business and acts on your behalf. It goes beyond surfacing data to actually doing the work:

Get instant answers about churn and revenue
Create complex subscription plans from a single sentence
Generate API code on the fly
Find and update customer accounts instantly

This is more than a chatbot. It’s the start of an entirely new way to grow. Book a personalized demo of the Fall Release

Now, let’s dive in the latest news you don’t want to miss about the subscription industry:

CNN rolls out “All Access” streaming bundle

CNN launched an “All Access” subscription app across Roku and Amazon, with authenticated access for pay-TV subscribers and direct options for cord-cutters, signaling fresh bundling experiments ahead of the holidays. Read more

HBO Max raises prices across all plans (again)

HBO Max introduced its third straight annual price hike, effective now for new users and rolling to existing monthly subs on Nov 20, with bundles that include Disney+ and Hulu also going up. Expect more aggressive ARPU plays industry-wide. Read more

Money20/20: community banks say stablecoins are now table stakes

At Money20/20, Rep. Mike Flood said community banks have “no choice” but to participate in stablecoins via bank–fintech partnerships, a signal that regulated digital-currency rails are moving closer to mainstream payments. Read more

Consumers shift to phone-first checkout, expect seamless rewards

New data shows 48% of shoppers made their most recent purchase on a smartphone and 67% want loyalty that works fluidly online and in-store, a clear cue for subscription brands to tighten mobile flows and rewards.Read more

Boston.com adds a paywall

Boston.com, long free, is introducing a paid model at $5/month bundled with Boston magazine and testing free-article limits, another publisher leaning into direct reader revenue with flexible access. Read more

New from Recurly

Customer story: Fi redefines the pet parent experience with Recurly

From GPS tracking to pet wellness and community, Fi has transformed how pet parents care for their companions. With Recurly powering its flexible plans and seamless billing, Fi expanded beyond hardware into health subscriptions and loyalty-driven engagement—building trust, agility, and a thriving subscriber community. Read the case study

Customer story: My Music Workshop hits the right note with Recurly

What started as a family-run music program in San Diego is now a global learning platform serving subscribers in 60+ countries. With Recurly powering its growth, My Music Workshop recovered 279% more revenue in just 30 days, reduced churn, and built a seamless migration for families worldwide. Read the case study

Recurly x Equifax: Protecting subscription growth

As the subscription economy accelerates, so does fraud. Through our partnership with Equifax and its Kount® 360 technology, Recurly helps brands stop fraud before it starts, reducing false declines, protecting subscriber trust, and securing global revenue growth. Read the full blog