Apple TV+ has quietly become one of the best streaming services on the market thanks to a growing collection of critically acclaimed shows, yet that's clearly not enough to mask the pain of a hefty price increase as subscribers are now threatening to cancel in protest.
While streaming services offer excellent value when you consider quite how much is offered across the entire library, increasing costs can be hard to stomach when you're not really seeing anything more as a result.
Netflix, for example, has nearly doubled in price over the past decade for it's Standard package, and while there have been a number of hit shows like Squid Game, Stranger Things, and Adolescence released in that time, plenty of users have equally bemoaned the rate at which their favorite shows are cancelled.
Apple TV+ has now drawn the ire of its user base, as the once-considered best deal in the streaming world has now got a lot more expensive, leaving users wondering whether it's still worth paying for.
How much is Apple TV+ increasing by?
As reported by TechRadar, Apple TV+ subscriptions have now received an immediate price increase of 30%, jumping from $9.99 to $12.99 in the United States.
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Unlike Netflix or Disney+, Apple TV+ features just a single subscription tier, meaning there is no way to opt instead for a lower ad-supported option right now as a means of saving some money.
While it's still quite a bit lower than the ad-free alternatives from its competitors, it's still a steep jump that many current subscribers might not be too happy to deal with, especially with how quickly it has been enacted.
All new subscribers will see the price increase immediately applied, whereas active users will be subject to the new costs within 30 days of their next renewal date, so hopefully you've been lucky enough to opt for a yearly renewal recently.
It's not exactly a secret that Apple TV+ isn't exactly a financial success for the company right now, as it allegedly loses $1 billion every single year on the service, so it's easy to understand why a steep price increase has happened.
How have people reacted to the price increase?
Although none of Apple TV+'s fantastic offerings like Severance, The Studio, or The Morning Show are going anywhere, plenty of people have shown their willingness to cut ties with the streaming service in response to the price hike.
"I was just thinking I should cancel Apple TV," wrote one frustrated X user. "This will do it for me."
Plenty of others have cited the streaming service's comparative lack of content as a reason why they're content with cancelling right now, as it's much easier (and cheaper) to resubscribe when the next season of your favorite show drops — especially when things like Severance take so long to come out.
"Apple TV+ is kind of subscription you pay for once every 2 years, watch everything and cancel," writes one user, with another adding that they "cancelled my subscription a month ago, gonna re-subscribe when Severance S3 arrives, and cancel again after watching. 90% of the stuff on Apple TV+ is maybe decent but really inessential."
These issues will likely to continue for many users until Apple TV+ builds enough of a library to justify a consistent subscription, especially when rivals like Netflix constantly have new shows and films for people to watch — albeit generally at a lower quality.