Apple TV raises subscription prices in the US

It’s going to cost Americans a few more bucks to watch “Ted Lasso” and other Apple TV originals: The tech giant is hiking the streaming service’s subscription price yet again, following an industrywide trend of regular rate hikes.

The subscription price for Apple TV will increase in the U.S. for new and existing subscribers beginning Friday, Aug. 28. The monthly price is now $14.99 (up two bucks from $12.99) and the annual price is now $119 (from $99). Existing subscribers will be notified approximately one month prior to being charged the new price, according to Apple.

It’s the fourth price increase for Apple TV (formerly called Apple TV+) in four years. The monthly fee has now tripled from the original 2019 launch price of $4.99/month, when Apple had much more limited content and was trying to amass customers.

Along with the Apple TV price hike, the company is increasing the price of the individual tier of Apple One — the discounted bundle with Apple TV, Apple Music, iCloud+ (with 50 GB of storage) and Apple Arcade — from $19.95 to $21.95 per month.

Apple’s price hikes come as all other major premium video-entertainment streamers have also raised their prices in the last two years, including Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Hulu, Paramount+ and YouTube Premium. Just earlier this month, NBCUniversal’s Peacock increased its rates, and ESPN is raising streaming prices as of Sept. 17. For now, Apple TV is the only major streaming service that doesn’t offer an ad-supported plan.

Apple TV now offers more than 300 original TV shows and movies, up from just a handful when it first came out of the gate. Popular titles include comedy series “Ted Lasso,” “The Studio” and “Shrinking,” as well as this year’s most-Emmy nominated freshman series “Widow’s Bay.” Apple TV dramas include the mind-bending thrillers “Severance” and “Pluribus” and the award-winning “The Morning Show.”

Original movies on the service include Oscar-winners “CODA” and Brad Pitt-starrer “F1: The Movie,” the latter of which is highest-grossing sports movie of all time at the global box office. In addition, the streamer’s customers can watch live sports including Formula 1 races, Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer.

-Variety