CUPERTINO, California — Apple has raised the U.S. monthly price of its Apple TV streaming service to $14.99 from $12.99, its fourth price increase in four years as the company joins a wider push by major entertainment platforms to raise subscription revenue.
The annual Apple TV plan will now cost $119, up from $99. The increase took effect Friday, Aug. 28, for new subscribers. Existing customers will receive notice about a month before the higher rate applies to their next billing cycle.
Apple also increased the price of its Apple One Individual bundle to $21.95 per month from $19.95. The bundle includes Apple TV, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud+ storage.
The increase comes as streaming services across the industry confront a more difficult business environment. Companies that spent heavily for years on original programming, subscriber growth and international expansion are now under pressure to turn streaming into a more consistently profitable business.
Apple TV began in 2019 at $4.99 per month. At $14.99, the current monthly price is three times the launch price.
Apple did not publicly provide a detailed explanation for the new pricing.
The company’s service remains ad-free and has built its reputation around a smaller library of original series and films, including Ted Lasso, Severance, The Morning Show, Silo, Slow Horses, The Studio and the Oscar-winning film CODA.
But the latest increase highlights a broader question for viewers: how much are consumers willing to pay for a streaming platform, particularly one with a curated catalog rather than the vast libraries offered by Netflix, Disney+ or Prime Video?
What is changing
Apple’s new U.S. subscription prices took effect Aug. 28 for new users.
| Plan | Previous price | New price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV monthly | $12.99 per month | $14.99 per month | +$2 per month |
| Apple TV annual | $99 per year | $119 per year | +$20 per year |
| Apple One Individual | $19.95 per month | $21.95 per month | +$2 per month |
The monthly Apple TV plan rises by about 15.4%. The annual plan rises by about 20.2%.
For subscribers who pay monthly and keep the service year-round, the cost increases from $155.88 annually to $179.88, or $24 more a year before tax.
The annual plan still offers a discount compared with paying $14.99 for 12 months. A full year of monthly payments now totals $179.88, while the annual plan costs $119.
For viewers who expect to use Apple TV consistently, the annual option provides savings of about $60.88 compared with paying month to month.
For customers who watch only a handful of Apple originals each year, however, the higher monthly price may make a subscribe-and-cancel approach more attractive.
Apple said it will notify current subscribers approximately 30 days before their next payment under the higher pricing.
That means current users will not necessarily see the increase on the same date. The exact change depends on their individual renewal cycle.
Fourth increase in four years
The price rise is Apple TV’s fourth in four years.
When the service launched in November 2019, Apple charged $4.99 a month. At the time, Apple TV had a limited library of original programming and was competing with more established platforms such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
Apple increased the monthly price to $6.99 in 2022, then to $9.99 in 2023, and to $12.99 in 2025. The new $14.99 rate marks another $2 monthly increase.
| Date | Apple TV monthly price |
|---|---|
| November 2019 launch | $4.99 |
| 2022 | $6.99 |
| 2023 | $9.99 |
| 2025 | $12.99 |
| August 2026 | $14.99 |
The cumulative change is substantial.
At launch, an Apple TV subscriber paid less than $60 a year. At the new monthly rate, a year of uninterrupted service costs nearly $180.
The annual plan softens that increase, but it too has risen from $99 to $119.
Apple’s pricing path follows a common streaming-industry pattern. Platforms often launch at a lower price to acquire customers, then raise rates after building a larger content library and a more established subscriber base.
The strategy can work if a service has enough popular programming to persuade customers to stay.
But it also risks subscriber fatigue, particularly for households that already pay for several video, music, cloud-storage, gaming and news subscriptions.
Apple One Individual also rises
Apple’s decision to raise the Apple One Individual plan alongside Apple TV is significant because bundles have become an important part of its services strategy.
Apple One Individual now costs $21.95 per month, up from $19.95. It includes:
- Apple TV.
- Apple Music.
- Apple Arcade.
- iCloud+ with 50GB of storage.
The price of the Apple One Family and Premier plans was not changed in the latest announcement.
For some customers, the Individual bundle may still represent a better value than buying each service separately. But that depends on how many included products a subscriber actually uses.
A customer who wants only Apple TV may see little reason to pay $21.95 for services they do not use. Someone who already pays for Apple Music and iCloud+ may view the bundle as a relatively efficient way to keep Apple TV.
The higher Individual price also reflects how Apple uses bundling to connect its entertainment, music, storage and gaming businesses.
Rather than operating Apple TV as a stand-alone service, Apple can encourage users to adopt several products within its ecosystem. That may help reduce customer churn, or cancellations, because leaving one service means reconsidering the value of the entire bundle.
Apple’s updated prices apply in the United States. The company also raised Apple TV pricing in Brazil, Chile and Mexico, according to MacRumors.
No broader international price changes were announced at the time of the U.S. increase.
The value question for viewers
Apple TV differs from many of its competitors because it has a relatively small catalog.
It does not include the large licensed libraries associated with Netflix, Prime Video or Hulu. It does not have Disney’s extensive collection of animation, Marvel, Star Wars and legacy entertainment franchises.
Instead, Apple has concentrated spending on original programming.
That strategy has produced acclaimed and widely viewed shows. Ted Lasso became a cultural hit and a key driver of early interest in the service. Severance has emerged as one of Apple TV’s most prominent recent series. The Morning Show, Slow Horses, Silo and For All Mankind have helped establish a reputation for glossy, premium television.
Apple TV has also made a mark in films.
CODA won the Academy Award for best picture in 2022, making Apple the first streaming platform to win the industry’s top Oscar. Apple has continued to finance and distribute movies featuring major stars and directors.
The question is whether that collection of originals justifies $14.99 a month.
For viewers who follow several Apple series or appreciate the ad-free experience, the answer may be yes.
For others, Apple TV’s smaller library may make it easier to subscribe for one or two months, watch a specific series and then cancel until the next season arrives.
That behavior has become common in the streaming industry. It is often called “churn and return,” in which users rotate among services depending on new releases.
The new price could make that pattern more likely.
Streaming services seek profitability
Apple’s increase is part of a broader change in the streaming business.
For years, major entertainment companies spent aggressively to gain subscribers. Netflix, Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery, Paramount, Comcast and others funded large libraries of original programming and licensed content as they tried to compete for global audiences.
The emphasis was often on growth rather than profit.
That has changed.
Streaming companies are now focused more heavily on profitability, advertising, password-sharing restrictions, bundled offerings and price increases.
Netflix has repeatedly raised prices and expanded its advertising-supported tier. Disney has increased the cost of Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ offerings. Peacock, Paramount+ and Max have also adjusted prices in recent years.
Apple has no advertising tier for Apple TV in the United States, which means subscription revenue is especially important to the service.
PCMag noted that Apple’s increase follows price changes across much of the streaming sector, including recent increases at Peacock, Netflix, Prime Video and Paramount+.
Apple may also be responding to the rising cost of premium programming.
Top-tier series often require expensive casts, visual effects, production teams and global marketing campaigns. Sports rights, where platforms pursue them, can be even more costly.
Apple has invested in sports programming, including Major League Soccer’s global streaming arrangement and selected Major League Baseball coverage. The company has also expanded its film ambitions, competing for prominent projects and theatrical releases.
The company does not disclose Apple TV’s revenue, profit or subscriber count separately. That makes it difficult to measure precisely how the price increase will affect the service’s finances.
But the move is consistent with an industry in which investors increasingly expect media companies to show that streaming can generate durable returns.
How Apple compares
At $14.99 a month, Apple TV is no longer positioned as a low-cost streaming alternative.
It is now priced closer to the middle or upper range of major ad-free subscription tiers.
Comparisons can be complicated because competitors offer multiple plans with different prices, advertising options, video quality, household-sharing rules and bundled services.
But the broader trend is clear: there are fewer inexpensive ad-free streaming options than there were several years ago.
Apple’s continued decision not to offer an advertising-supported Apple TV tier is notable.
Many competitors use lower-priced ad tiers to attract cost-conscious viewers while increasing overall revenue through advertising. Apple’s service has remained ad-free, which some customers may value.
The trade-off is a higher direct subscription cost.
Apple could eventually introduce an ad-supported plan, particularly if subscriber growth slows or if rivals gain more ground with lower-priced offerings. But the company has not announced such a move.
For now, its model depends on convincing consumers that a premium, ad-free library of originals is worth the monthly fee.
What current subscribers should do
Existing Apple TV subscribers should watch for an email or account notification before the new price takes effect.
Apple said it will provide approximately one month’s notice before charging current subscribers the higher amount.
Subscribers have several options:
- Keep the monthly plan at $14.99.
- Switch to the $119 annual plan if they expect to remain subscribed for a full year.
- Consider Apple One Individual if they already use Apple Music, Apple Arcade and iCloud+.
- Cancel and resubscribe around specific shows or release windows.
- Check whether Apple TV is included through an eligible mobile, broadband, device or credit-card promotion.
The annual plan is the simplest way for year-round subscribers to reduce the effective monthly price.
At $119 a year, it works out to about $9.92 per month. That is roughly $5.07 less than the new monthly price.
But annual billing requires paying the full amount upfront. It is only a better deal if a customer expects to keep the service for at least eight months.
Households should also review how many streaming services they are paying for. Small monthly increases across several platforms can add up quickly.
A household with five subscriptions that each rise by $2 per month could face an additional $120 a year in streaming costs.
Apple’s larger services strategy
The price increase arrives as Apple continues to build its services business.
The company sells hardware, but it has increasingly relied on recurring revenue from subscriptions such as Apple Music, iCloud+, Apple Arcade, AppleCare+, Apple News+ and Apple TV.
Services are strategically valuable because they generate ongoing income and can make customers more likely to remain within Apple’s ecosystem.
Apple TV is not simply a television product. It supports the company’s broader push to create an integrated digital-services business around the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV hardware and Apple Vision devices.
The service also gives Apple a presence in Hollywood and global entertainment.
Original shows and films can strengthen the Apple brand, attract creators, support hardware sales and create reasons for consumers to remain connected to Apple accounts and devices.
That larger strategic value may explain why Apple continues to invest in programming even without publicly breaking out the financial performance of its streaming unit.
But the latest increase shows that Apple also wants subscribers to bear more of the direct cost.
What comes next
Apple’s price increase will take effect immediately for new subscribers, while existing customers will see the change at renewal after receiving advance notice.
The increase may test the loyalty of viewers who joined when the service was a $4.99 experiment with a small slate of originals.
Apple now has a deeper library, a stronger awards record and more recognizable series. But it also faces a more crowded market and more price-sensitive consumers.
The company’s challenge is to keep producing enough high-profile programming to make $14.99 feel justified.
For consumers, the decision may be more practical.
Apple TV remains ad-free. Its annual plan offers a discount. Apple One can provide value for people already using other Apple services.
But as the monthly price reaches $14.99, the era of Apple TV as one of streaming’s cheapest options is over.