Apple TV+ just got more expensive. This week, Apple quietly increased the monthly price of Apple TV+ from $9.99 to $12.99. That’s a hefty 30% price hike for a streaming service that was historically much cheaper its than rivals. Recall that when Apple TV+ originally launched in 2019, it was priced at $4.99. At the time, the price was somewhat reasonable in light of its relatively barren content library.
Since then, Apple has done a solid job of boosting the quantity and quality of shows and movies available on Apple TV+. In turn, the subscription cost has increased accordingly. Note that Apple in 2022 raised the monthly subscription price of Apple TV+ from $4.99 to $6.99. About a year later, the monthly subscription increased to $9.99. And now, nearly two years later, it’s been raised to $12.99.
According to Apple, new subscribers will pay the higher price point starting today. Meanwhile, existing subscribers will see the new subscription price take effect one month after their next billing date.
Apple’s price increase makes sense
While a monthly price increase is never welcome news, I can see the logic behind Apple’s decision. For starters, the content library on Apple TV+ has grown drastically over the past few years. Back in the early days of Apple TV+, it was possible to run through every show relatively quickly. These days, there are so many shows and movies on Apple TV+ that it’s become hard to keep up.
On top of that, Apple has done an impressive job of curating quality and award-winning content. From “Ted Lasso” and “The Morning Show” to “Severance” and “The Studio,” Apple TV+ programming has garnered dozens of award nominations and wins. And that’s to say nothing of the highly compelling Apple TV+ content that hasn’t won awards, with “Tehran” and “Stick” being two prime examples.
It of course goes without saying that streamers like Netflix boast more titles, but the content on Apple TV+, on average, tends to be of higher quality. All that said, users should enjoy the $12.99 price point while it lasts. After all, if there’s anything consistent about video streaming, it’s that price increases are inevitable. Netflix, for instance, has increased its monthly subscription price multiple times over the past few years.
