The inevitable has happened: Apple TV is raising its prices. As of August 28, a monthly subscription will now cost $14.99, up from the previous $12.99. And if you’re one of those planning-ahead types, a yearly subscription will set you back $119, a $20 increase from before. Because what’s a few extra dollars when you’re already shelling out for a service that promises to bring you the best in entertainment?
The price hike affects both new and existing subscribers, because why grandfather in the old guard when you can bring everyone up to the new standard? And what’s the new standard, you ask? Well, it’s $14.99 a month for the privilege of watching Ted Lasso, Widow’s Bay, and Bad Monkey, among other shows. Not a bad deal, considering the quality of programming you’re getting. But still, it’s hard not to feel like you’re being nickel-and-dimed when every streaming service under the sun seems to be raising its prices at the same time.
Apple isn’t the only one guilty of this, of course. Just a couple of weeks ago, Peacock announced its own price increase, with monthly subscriptions now ranging from $9 to $20, depending on the tier you choose. And back in March, Netflix raised its prices, with the basic subscription (with ads) now costing $9 a month, and the standard plan without ads coming in at $19.99. It’s starting to feel like the streaming wars are just a fancy way of saying “who can charge the most for the same content.”
The State of Streaming
It’s worth noting that Apple TV’s new prices are comparable to its competitors, at least. You’re not going to find a significantly better deal elsewhere, unless you’re willing to settle for a more limited selection of content. But that’s the thing: with so many streaming services out there, it’s starting to feel like we’re just paying for the privilege of having too many options. Do we really need five different services to choose from, each with its own unique selection of shows and movies? Or are we just being sold a bill of goods, with the promise of “more” being the ultimate carrot on a stick?
The fact that Apple TV has some of the most-discussed TV shows out there, including Pluribus and Widow’s Bay, doesn’t make the price increase any easier to swallow. But hey, at least you’re getting some good content out of it, right? That’s what matters, after all. The price is just a minor detail, a trifling thing that shouldn’t get in the way of your enjoyment of the shows you love. Unless, of course, you’re one of those people who actually has to budget for this sort of thing. In which case, sorry.
The Bigger Picture
It’s hard not to feel like we’re just pawns in a much larger game, one in which the streaming services are the players and we’re just the audience. They’re the ones who get to decide what we watch, how much we pay, and when we get to see it. And we’re just along for the ride, paying our monthly subscriptions and hoping that the content we want to see doesn’t get canceled or pulled from the service at the last minute. It’s a delicate dance, one in which the streaming services have to balance their desire for profit with our desire for entertainment.
And yet, despite all this, we keep coming back for more. We keep paying our monthly subscriptions, keep watching our shows, and keep hoping that the next big thing is just around the corner. Because that’s what we do. We’re a captive audience, willing to pay top dollar for the privilege of being entertained. And the streaming services know it, which is why they keep raising their prices and why we keep paying them. It’s a vicious cycle, one that shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
As the saying goes, “somewhere an executive nodded very seriously during an expensive meeting” and decided that this was the way forward. And so, we’re stuck with it. The price increase, the constant streaming wars, the never-ending quest for more content and more subscribers. It’s exhausting, really. But hey, at least we have our shows to keep us company. Until they get canceled, that is.
Finn McFrame, celebrated satirical mastermind and self-proclaimed “Emperor of Irony,” started his illustrious career as a cinematographer, where his expertise in capturing every single frame of a squirrel stealing a baguette earned him accolades at obscure film festivals.
Born in the glamorous town of Boring, Oregon, Finn grew up with dreams of being a Hollywood director until he realized that satire, not cinema, was his true calling—or at least the one that let him sleep until noon.
Finn McFrame: changing the world, one satirical lens flare at a time.
