Bad news, everyone: Apple TV Plus, one of the last bastions of ad-free cost-effective streaming services, is getting a big price hike.
As first reported by Bloomberg, Apple is raising the price of one of the world’s best streaming services. Even worse, it’ll cost almost double what you’re currently paying to use the streaming platform. Well, in the US anyway. As Gurman pointed out on X (formerly Twitter), the monthly cost of Apple TV Plus is going up from $6.99 to an unpleasant $9.99 – a 31% jump on what users currently pay. Signing up to a yearly subscription will also set you back an extra $30 as it’s going up from $69 to $99.
NEW on @TheTerminal: Apple is raising the price of Apple TV+ from $6.99 to $9.99 (and $69 to $99 annually), Apple Arcade from $4.99 to $6.99 and News+ from $9.99 to $12.99. Apple One bundle prices also going up + hikes are coming internationally.October 25, 2023
It’s currently unclear if Apple TV Plus’ cost will rise in the UK and Australia. We’ve reached out to Apple’s British and Australian divisions to learn more and we’ll update this article if we hear back.
Unsurprisingly, the price increase means it’ll be more expensive to watch the best Apple TV Plus shows and best Apple TV Plus movies moving forward. And, as someone who has vouched for how great the platform’s back catalog is, it’s a price hike that’s really frustrated me.
Not only is (or, rather, was) Apple’s streamer one of the cheapest services around, but it’s also home to some of the best sci-fi TV series to launch in recent months and years, including Foundation, Severance, and Silo. Critically acclaimed and award-winning non-sci-fi shows, such as Ted Lasso and Blackbird, are also absolutely worth watching.
The streamer is also going to be the exclusive place to watch some of 2023’s critically acclaimed and highly anticipated new movies, too, such as Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. If Apple wants to entice people to stream these brilliant shows and films on its platform, what good is it going to do raising the price of its monthly and yearly subscriptions at such a key juncture in its history?
With viewers now expected to come up with more cash to subscribe to Apple TV Plus, it’s possible that customers – especially potential new users – will simply pass on the opportunity to sign up for the service in favor of its biggest rivals, such as Netflix.
Indeed, Netflix’s ad-supported tier only sets you back $6.99 / £4.99 / AU$6.99 per month, meaning it’s now cheaper to watch the streaming giant’s massive library of TV series and movies – albeit with the fact you’ll have to sit through the occasional ad break – than Apple TV Plus’ much smaller selection. And Netflix isn’t the only streamer that’s more cost-effective than Apple’s – in the US, Hulu with Ads costs $7.99 per month, while Prime Video‘s ad-supported subscription is priced at $8.99. In the US and UK, Paramount Plus‘ ads-based tier will also set you back $5.99 / £4.99 every 30 days.
Only Max, Warner Bros Discovery’s super streamer replacement for HBO Max, will cost as much as Apple TV Plus. Even then, Max’s extensive back catalog means its $9.99 ad-free monthly subscription is more cost-effective than Apple’s.
In an age where the world’s biggest entertainment companies have increased the price of their streaming platforms, Apple TV Plus was one of the few that stood firm on providing bargain basement prices to consumers. Unfortunately, that’s no longer the case – and, in an era where competition for viewers’ attention is exponentially increasing, Apple might have made a huge mistake in raising Apple TV Plus’ price. Still, if you’re interested in signing up, regardless of the cost, check out our Apple TV Plus review to see if it’s worth it.