Apple TV Plus is getting a major price hike, and I couldn’t be more annoyed
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 BloombergApple is raising the price of one of the world’s best streaming services. Even worse, it costs almost double what you currently pay to use the streaming platform. Well, in the US anyway. As Gurman noted on If you sign up for an annual subscription, you’ll also get an extra $30 back as this increases from $69 to $99.
NEW on @TheTerminal: Apple is increasing 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. The prices of Apple One bundles are also going up + there will be increases internationally.October 25, 2023
It’s currently unclear whether the cost of Apple TV Plus will increase in the UK and Australia. We’ve reached out to Apple’s UK and Australian divisions for more information and will update this article if we hear back.
Unsurprisingly, the price increase means it will become more expensive to watch the best Apple TV Plus shows and the best Apple TV Plus movies in the future. And as someone who has attested to how great the platform’s back catalog is, it’s a price increase that really frustrates 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, DisconnectionAnd Silo. Critically acclaimed and award-winning non-sci-fi shows, such as Ted Lasso And Blackbirdare also definitely worth checking out.
The streamer will also be the exclusive place to watch some of 2023’s critically acclaimed and highly anticipated new films, such as those from Martin Scorsese. Killers of the Flower Moon and Ridley Scott’s Napoleon. If Apple wants to entice people to stream these brilliant shows and movies on its platform, what good will it do in raising the price of its monthly and annual subscriptions at such an important time in its history?
Now that viewers are expected to shell out more money to subscribe to Apple TV Plus, it’s possible that customers – especially potential new users – will simply pass up the chance to sign up for the service in favor of its biggest rivals, like Netflix.
Netflix’s ad-supported tier will run you just $6.99 / £4.99 / AU$6.99 per month, meaning it’s now cheaper to get the streaming giant’s vast library of TV shows and movies viewing – albeit with the occasional ad break throughout – 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 plan costs $8.99. In the US and UK, the ad-based tier of Paramount Plus will also get you $5.99/£4.99 every 30 days.
Only Max, Warner Bros Discovery’s superstreamer 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.
At a time when the world’s largest entertainment companies have increased the prices of their streaming platforms, Apple TV Plus has been one of the few to remain steadfast in offering consumers affordable base prices. Sadly, that’s no longer the case – and in an era where competition for viewers’ attention is increasing exponentially, Apple may have made a big mistake by raising the price of Apple TV Plus. But 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.