Apple TV+ raises subscription prices worldwide, including in UK

Apple TV+ has put up its prices in the UK and worldwide for monthly subscribers, as the cost of streaming continues to rise.

The platform’s cost per month has gone up by £1 to £9.99 a month, though annual prices have stayed the same at £89 per year.

It means an Apple TV+ monthly subscription is now double the price it was when launched at in the UK in November 2019.

Apple told the BBC while the price was in place for new users immediately, existing subscribers would have until 30 days after their next renewal before they started paying more.

“Since its launch, Apple TV+ has expanded its deep library of hundreds of Apple Originals, with thousands of hours of premium programming across genres and brand-new releases weekly – all ad-free,” a spokesperson said.

In the US, Apple TV+ users will see a larger price increase from $9.99 to $12.99 per month.

Apple does not publicly disclose the number of people subscribed to its streaming service.

However, Statista put this number at an estimated 25m paid subscribers in 2022, in addition to 50m people accessing the service through a promotion.

Tech blog The Information put this number at 45m in March when it reported Apple TV+ was losing more than $1bn (£750m) annually.

The streaming service has gained increased prominence after a string of big shows, including the sci-fi hit Severance and Seth Rogen-led show The Studio.

“The streaming business is following the traditional pay TV world with annual price rises,” Paolo Pescatore, technology analyst at PP Foresight, told the BBC.

“We should get accustomed to these price rises, as streamers seek to broaden their diversified programming portfolio.”

It is the first price increase for the platform in nearly two years.

By contrast Netfli has raised prices annually and costs anywhere between £5.99 and £18.99 a month.

Other streaming service have also seen price rises in the past year, with Disney+ going up to between £8.99 and £12.99 in October, while Paramount+ prices went up to between £4.99 and £10.99 in November.

The cheaper options offered by these services are supported by ads, which Apple TV+ does not show.

“We are in a golden era of storytelling, and users still want to immerse themselves in unique content,” said Mr Pescatore.

“There are plentiful opportunities to reach new audiences, whether with big theatrical productions or opportunistic moves into acquiring live sports.

“All that is changing is the distribution and Apple is well-positioned with its vast user base – however, it needs to do a better job of articulating its merits over rivals.”