Like gas stations on the same busy street raising their prices in unison, so to are most of the big streamers.
On the heels of Peacock and ESPN Unlimited giving customers a price hike, Apple TV is now following suit.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Apple TV is upping the monthly subscription price by two dollars from $12.99 per month to $14.99 per month. An annual subscription has been increased from $99.99 to $119.99. The tech giant is also raising the cost of the Apple One subscription, a bundle featuring Apple TV, Apple Music, and other perks, by two dollars per month to $21.95.
Like other streamers, Apple’s price increase comes after adding a major sports property. This year is the first of Apple TV televising a full season of Formula One races after the global racing series moved over from ESPN in a five-year deal worth a reported $150 million per year. While there is uncertainty around just how successful F1 races have been on Apple TV, there is no uncertainty around who is going to pay the bill for it — subscribers.
For sports fans, Apple TV offers Formula 1, Major League Soccer, and MLB Friday Night Baseball. Compared to other major streamers, it’s a very limited inventory. Apple’s main focus has been on original series and perhaps it’s no coincidence that the increase comes in the midst of the Ted Lasso revival.
But for sports fans, there comes a time when everyone reaches their limit on how many streaming service subscriptions are too many. With everyone rising prices and streaming getting more isolated and more expensive, it adds to the challenges of trying to navigate an increasingly difficult and cumbersome landscape. And if folks were already skeptical about whether or not Apple TV was worth the investment, this news is going to likely settle the debate for them.
About Matt Yoder