Apple TV Plus subscribers threaten to cancel after surprise price hike

This week Apple hit Apple TV Plus subscribers with a surprise price hike that saw subscription costs leap from $9.99 to $12.99 in the US, disappointing fans of one of the best streaming services around.

The 30% increase is effective immediately for new subscribers, while existing ones have until their next billing cycle. So current subscribers have a minute to decide if they want to continue paying for the service now that it costs roughly $3 more a month.

Apple attempted to justify the rising cost by noting that it doesn’t have ads on its library of content.

“Since it [sic] 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,” Apple told Variety. “Subscribers can explore a rich offering of thrilling dramas, epic sci-fi, feel-good comedies and live sports.”

What subscribers are saying

The announcement was met with near immediate backlash from subscribers. A common refrain we’ve seen is people saying they will cancel their subscriptions.

thank you for reminding me to cancel apple tv!

— @fortydeucetwits.bsky.social (@fortydeucetwits.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-08-22T21:08:57.488Z

With reports that Apple loses a billion dollars a year on Apple TV Plus, some are joking that they’ve been subscribed for years without paying for the service.

“I’ve never paid for Apple TV+ but have somehow had a sub since it came out lol,” said one Redditor.

Over on various subreddits, people are sharing their tips for getting the most out of your subscriptions for the least money.

These include waiting for deals, including Black Friday sales or only subscribing for a month or two, enough time to get through the shows you want to watch before cancelling again.

“With the cost of everything going up, it’s just easier subscribing for a month or two at a time and binge watch your favorite shows on all these different apps,” a Reddit poster commented.

As my colleague Malcom McMillan wrote, “I struggle to see why people should pay $13 a month for the streaming service. I certainly wouldn’t. I’d simply sign up for the month(s) when ‘Slow Horses’ is on, and then cancel once it’s over.”

How to prioritize your streaming subscriptions

When it comes to streaming, constant price hikes have made streaming nearly as expensive as cable. It can be hard to decide which services to actually pay for.

We have a guide on how to decide which streaming services to cancel. And if you decide Apple’s service isn’t worth the cost, it’s a fairly straightforward process to cancel Apple TV Plus.

Apple may not be adding ads anytime soon, which is nice as a viewer, but further backlash to price hikes may change the company’s tune. While shows like “Slow Horses” and “Severance” are worth a watch, if prices continue to go up, they may not be worth the subscription.

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