Apple TV is more expensive, starting now

The price of the service has tripled since its launch in 2019.

By Drew Gillis  |  August 28, 2026 | 10:08am
Image courtesy of Apple TV
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Apple TV is more expensive, starting now

Remember, less than a decade ago, when streaming services were presented as a cheaper alternative to cable? We recognize this isn’t a novel observation anymore, but, well, they just keep getting more expensive. The latest example of this is Apple TV, which announced another $2 price hike this morning, effective immediately. Per Variety, the new price for the monthly plan is $14.99, up from $12.99. (The annual plan also jumped $20, from $99 to $119.) For reference, this is three times as costly as the plan was when it launched for $4.99 in 2019. 

We’ll admit that Apple TV does have a significantly more robust slate of original programming than it did when it launched (and that programming doesn’t tend to tell you what’s happening on screen three or four times per episode in case you’re looking at your phone). The streamer’s already had its best-ever year at the Emmys, at least nomination-wise; both Widow’s Bay and Pluribus scored nearly 20, behind only The Pitt and Hacks, both on HBO Max. Still, it’s certainly a pretty steep climb in seven years; as Variety notes, the price of the service has gone up each of the past four years. 

It’s not just Apple TV; prices of streaming services keep going up. Earlier this year, for example, Netflix raised the price of its ad-free plan to $19.99 per month. Its cheapest plan, which has ads in it, went up to $8.99 at the same time. 

 
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