Apple TV+ Just Got More Expensive

Apple TV+ is getting a price hike, and it’s a pretty big one. The monthly subscription for Apple’s streaming service is now $12.99, a $3 jump from its previous price of $9.99. The price increase is effective immediately for all new customers.

If you’re an existing subscriber, you’ll see the new price on your next billing cycle within 30 days of your next renewal date. This is the third price increase for Apple TV+ since it launched in 2019 at a super-low cost of just $4.99 per month. The last time the price was raised was in October 2023, when it went from $6.99 to $9.99. While the monthly fee is going up, there is no word yet on whether the cost of the annual $99 subscription will change.

The good news is that the price of the Apple One bundles, which start at $19.95 per month and include Apple TV+, has not been affected. The service is home to shows that have gotten a ton of awards and nominations, like the hit show Severance, which had the most Emmy nominations this year at 27 total, and Seth Rogen’s The Studio, which became the most-nominated freshman comedy ever with 23 nods. You also get access to MLB’s Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer matches.

Apple is justifying the price hike by telling Variety that it’s because the service has expanded its library to include hundreds of original TV shows and movies, all without a single ad. The company pointed out that Apple TV+ is the only major streaming service that doesn’t offer a cheaper, ad-supported plan. This is true because it’s gotten to the point where many services give you ads alongside a lower subscription fee, and getting a sports package without ads is rare in itself.

It feels like there’s a good Apple TV+ movie to stream every week, so there isn’t a lack of content. It’s also not hard to see how much Apple is offering when there are so many great shows returning this year.

The new price is still competitive when you compare Apple TV+ to other streaming services. For example, Paramount+ has an ad-free version for the same price of $12.99 per month. Disney+’s lowest-cost ad-free option is even more expensive, at $15.99 a month. Netflix has three different price tiers, with the ad-free options being $17.99 and $24.99 per month. The only streamer to have a lower monthly cost is Disney+’s ad-supported option for $9.99 a month.

So it looks like anyone who still has time remaining before their upgrade doesn’t have to worry about anything, because they have a grace period lasting however long you have until you need to renew. However, if you’ve been waiting to try Apple TV+, you’re going to have to pay more now.

Apple TV+

Subscription with ads

No

Simultaneous streams

5

Live TV

No

Price

Included with Apple One ($20/month) or $10/month standalone

Source: Variety