The news: Apple TV is the latest subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service to raise prices in the US. The ad-free streamer increased the monthly plan by $2 to $15 a month and the annual plan by $20 to $119.

Current annual subscribers will get a notification of the price increase about a month before their plans renew, but new subscribers will pay the updated rate immediately.

The streamer also boosted Apple One Individual plans to $21.99. That plan bundles Music, TV, Arcade, News+, Fitness+ (powered by Apple Watch), and iCloud.

Zooming out: Apple joins a deluge of streamers raising prices this year.

• Paramount+ led this year’s price push in January, with a $1 per month increase on monthly plans, but the annual plans jumped $30 for Essential and $40 for Premium.
• Netflix increased ad-supported subscriptions by $1 per month and Standard by $2 in March.
• Amazon Prime Video boosted its ad-free add-on by $2, also in March.
• YouTube bumped YouTube Premium up $2 per month in April.
• Starz joined the $1 more per month club in June.
• Peacock raised its rates between $1 and $3 monthly for its ad-supported and ad-free plans in mid-August.
• Disney+ plans to raise rates on a legacy Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Select bundle by $3 to $28 starting September 17.

What it means: Although the increases are smaller than in previous years, averaging around 14% versus 24% in 2023–2024 for Amazon, Netflix, and Disney, per Ampere Analysis, subscribers are still feeling the pinch.

Considering adults in the US and Canada subscribe to about seven paid and four non-paid streaming services, per TiVo, those costs add up quickly. If consumers subscribe to the seven paid ad-supported monthly options in the chart below, it would cost them $77 a month. The most expensive ad-free seven: $132.

Implications for marketers: Churn rates are on the rise, and higher prices will lead to more service swapping, downgrading to cheaper plans, or minimizing the number of subscriptions consumers keep.

• We can expect streamers to release new series over weeks or months, instead of releasing the entire season at once, to keep consumers on-platform. Marketers will need to follow trending series and sign-ups to reach wider audiences.
• As consumers trade down to ad-supported offerings, marketers should consider unintrusive placements like static pause ads to avoid disrupting the user experience.
• To reach consumers sticking with higher-tier, ad-free plans, dive into sponsorships and product placements to keep brands top of mind in an ever-changing streaming landscape.