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                  Apple TV+ Monthly Price Increases to $12.99

   Adam Engst

   Apple has increased the monthly subscription fee for [1]Apple TV+ to
   $12.99 in an effort to reduce or better monetize churn. Since Apple TV+
   lacks the deep library of a Netflix or Hulu/Disney+, it's common for
   people (raises hand) to subscribe, catch up on the few shows or movies
   they care about, and then cancel. Personally, I lucked out recently
   because Apple decided to give me a 3-month free trial after I bought my
   14-inch MacBook Pro. I don't plan to renew once the free trial ends.

   You can save money by subscribing to the annual plan, which remains
   priced at $99 per year. Previously, it followed Apple's usual formula
   of 10 times the monthly fee for annual plans. Apple is presumably
   breaking its formula and keeping the annual Apple TV+ cost lower to
   encourage people to stick around rather than cherry-picking shows for a
   month or two. Oddly, Apple doesn't mention the $99 annual plan in the
   [2]Apple TV+ pricing FAQ. I was eventually able to confirm that it
   still exists on the iPhone inSettings >Your Name> Subscriptions.

   When it launched, Apple TV+ cost $4.99 per month (see '[3]Apple Unveils
   Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ Prices and Dates,' 10 September 2019). Three
   years later, Apple increased the price to $6.99 per month (see
   '[4]Apple Raises the Price of Apple Music, Apple TV+, and Apple One,'
   24 October 2022) and, just a year after that, to $9.99 per month (see
   '[5]Prices Increase for Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, and Apple
   One,' 25 October 2023).

   In comparison, [6]Netflix now costs $7.99 per month with ads, $17.99
   per month for the Standard plan that supports 1080p and two
   simultaneous devices, and $24.99 per month for the Premium plan with 4K
   and four simultaneous devices. [7]Hulu is $9.99 per month with ads or
   $18.99 per month without, though the Disney+ and Hulu bundle is only $1
   more at $10.99 per month with ads and $19.99 per month without. And
   then there are Acorn TV, Amazon Prime, BritBox, HBO Max, Paramount+,
   PBS Passport, Peacock, and more.

   If you subscribe to multiple streaming services to watch specific
   shows, you might end up paying $100 or more per month, especially if
   you opt for ad-free tiers. That's a lot, but it could still be less
   than cable TV, which some surveys say can range from $80 to $160 per
   month, with the higher prices common in urban areas.

   On the other hand, if you're willing to search through a single large
   library service like Netflix or Hulu/Disney+, you can likely find more
   than enough professionally produced video entertainment that you'll
   enjoy watching while paying far less.

References

   1. https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/
   2. https://www.apple.com/apple-tv-plus/#:~:text=What%20does%20it,Apple%C2%A0TV%2B.5
   3. https://tidbits.com/2019/09/10/apple-unveils-apple-arcade-and-apple-tv-prices-and-dates/
   4. https://tidbits.com/2022/10/24/apple-raises-the-price-of-apple-music-apple-tv-and-apple-one/
   5. https://tidbits.com/2023/10/25/prices-increase-for-apple-tv-apple-arcade-apple-news-and-apple-one/
   6. https://help.netflix.com/en/node/24926
   7. https://help.hulu.com/article/hulu-how-much-does-hulu-cost

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