As if the entertainment industry strikes haven’t already wreaked havoc across all of pop culture, 2023 appears intent on drawing as much ire out of movie and TV audiences as possible. In the week after price hikes were announced for Netflix subscriptions and Discovery+ plans, Apple TV+ is following suit by introducing a rather substantial spike of its own, which is just adding to the exhaustion over changes to streaming services in recent months.
How High Is Apple TV+'s Price Hike?
Apple TV+ deserves a bit of credit for going as long as it did without raising its initial sub cost, as it was only a year ago when the $4.99 entry fee was raised for the first time, with $6.99 as the monthly price from Oct 2022-Oct 2023. Now, however, that same Apple TV+ subscription will set customers back $9.99 per month.
At the same time, the platform's annual subscription is shifting from $69.99 up to $99.99. So going for the full year instead of the monthly dues will save customers roughly six bucks, which isn't even enough for a month of Apple TV+ anymore.
No judgment if anyone else out there was left with their mouths hanging open by that, since a three-dollar increase is a pretty massive change on a scale like this. And it's even more ridiculous to think that the streaming service has fully doubled its price in just over a year's time, despite arguably not offering anything new or significant enough to justify the lofty new cost. It's all about building a better future, sure, but geesh.
In fact, barring any sudden announcements about Ted Lasso Season 4 or a new spinoff, Apple TV+ is without arguably its most popular original scripted show going into this more expensive era. The Morning Show's ongoing season and Brie Larson's critically acclaimed performance in Lessons in Chemistry are defnite highlights for subscribers, and the upcoming Monster-verse series Monarch: Legacy of Monsters will hopefully be worth the price of admission alone. But beyond that, we're currently waiting for the next wave of major releases.
When Is Apple TV+ Raising Its Prices?
Unfortunately for anyone hoping to avoid the uptick in costs, Apple has made this increase effective immediately, and its website already reflects the new monthly costs for new subscribers. And while this kind of an increase might spark speculation about whether the company has an ad-based plan in the works, no such announcement was coupled with the new pricing.
In a statement regarding the spiked cost, here's what Apple did say:
We are focused on delivering the best experiences possible for our customers by consistently adding high-quality entertainment, content, and innovative features to our services. Since launching four years ago, Apple TV+ has made history for streaming services by crossing major milestones in a short span of time, thanks to its extensive selection of award-winning and broadly acclaimed series, feature films, documentaries, and kids and family entertainment.
Apple TV+ has several promising new projects coming down the pipeline in 2024 and beyond, with Vince Gilligan's new series with Better Call Saul fave Rhea Seehorn possibly at the top of that pile in terms of promise. But there are some interesting sci-fi projects (the Blake Couch adaptation Dark Matter, Colin Farrell's Sugar); several historical biographical dramas (Franklin, Chief of War, Ferrari); and a variety of other series and films, from a Time Bandits show to a new Speed Racer to Seth Rogen's next comedy.
Here's hoping the price hasn't jumped up another $5 before any of those are available to binge.
