Apple TV+ Is 30 Percent More Expensive Now
Yesterday, Apple TV+ blessed us with the trailer for season four of The Morning Show. Today, the streamer decided to remind us that the joy of watching Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon chew up scenery does not come cheap: The cost of a monthly Apple TV+ subscription plan is jumping to $12.99, a hefty 30 percent bump over the $9.99 the streamer has been charging customers the past two years. The new price goes into effect immediately for new customers in the U.S. and select international locations; current subscribers will see their rate go up 30 days after their next billing cycle begins.
While it’s no comfort to price-sensitive consumers, this increase is firmly in line with similar rate changes at other streamers of late: Peacock just jacked up its rates nearly 40 percent in order to pay for the flurry of sports on the service, while Disney has been on a similar path with Disney+ and Hulu the last couple of years and this week is rolling out a new ESPN streaming service with an eye-popping $30 monthly charge. And even though Apple is obviously super profitable and, yes, doesn’t “need” the extra money this price hike will generate, Apple TV+ still has to justify its existence within the broader Tim Cook universe — and Emmy nominations, while nice, probably aren’t sufficient at a publicly traded company.
Here, Apple’s hands are tied a bit by the fact that it is now the only major U.S. general entertainment streamer without an ad-supported tier. Like HBO did for decades, it makes all its money via subscribers. There continues to be speculation in industry circles that Apple will at some point relent and roll out an ad tier; such a decision might be influenced by how much subscriber churn this latest increase generates. For now, though, the main way Apple has to pay for the billions of dollars it now spends on TV shows and movies every year is by passing some of the cost on to consumers.
Meanwhile, if you’re an Apple TV+ stan who’s looking forward to your upcoming Morning Show/Slow Horses/Loot fix and finds yourself regularly watching Apple shows throughout the year, there are still some ways to save by making a long-term commitment. For one, Apple is not (yet) raising the price of its $99 annual plan, so if you’ve got the funds, you can lock in a year of service now at an effective monthly rate of $8.25 — a steal for an ad-free service in 2025. (You’ll need to go into your Apple account in the Settings app, head over over to the subscriptions tab to “manage subscriptions,” and then navigate to “see all plans.”)
Similarly, if you’re someone firmly rooted in the overall Apple ecosystem, it’s worth at last considering checking out the Apple One bundle. It packages Apple Music, Apple Arcade, cloud storage, and Apple TV+ together for a starting price of $19.95 per month (for an individual plan) or $25.95 (for a family), saving more than 35 percent over buying those products separately. Even if you don’t use Apple Arcade, the bundle still saves you 20 percent every month ($4) over the cost of a stand-alone Apple TV+ and Apple Music subscription.
Unfortunately, Apple One does not come with a complimentary gold-plated fake award. That offer is only available to U.S. presidents who threaten Mr. Cook with tariffs.
Related