Your Apple TV+ subscription just got more expensive. In a move that's sure to raise eyebrows, Apple has once again increased the monthly price of its streaming service, this time by a significant 30%. The cost is jumping from $9.99 to $12.99 per month in the United States, a change that is effective immediately for all new subscribers.

Existing subscribers will see the new price reflected on their next billing cycle.

This marks the second major price hike for the service in less than a year and signals a clear shift in Apple's strategy for its streaming ambitions. The days of Apple TV+ being the scrappy, low-cost alternative in the streaming wars are officially over. Now, the tech giant is making a bold statement: it believes its content library is worth a premium price, putting it in direct competition with the industry's heavyweights.

So, why the sudden and steep increase? While Apple hasn't released a detailed public statement justifying the specific dollar amount, the strategy seems pretty clear. The service has evolved significantly from its early days. When it launched in 2019, Apple TV+ was a bare-bones offering with a handful of original shows. It was priced accordingly at a mere $4.99, often bundled for free with new hardware purchases to build an audience.

And then there's sports. The massive, 10-year deal to become the exclusive home of Major League Soccer (MLS) with the MLS Season Pass was a game-changer. It brought a dedicated, global fanbase to the platform and represented a monumental investment that Apple is now likely looking to recoup. The company is betting that this combination of award-winning series, blockbuster movies, and exclusive live sports is enough to justify a price tag that's nearly tripled in just a few years.

This isn't a random, one-off event. It's part of a clear and aggressive pricing trend for Apple TV+. Let's trace the journey:

• November 2019: Launched at $4.99/month.
• October 2022: First price increase to $6.99/month.
• October 2023: A significant jump to $9.99/month.
• September 2024: The latest hike brings it to $12.99/month.

What started as a budget-friendly experiment has quickly escalated into a premium service. Each price increase has coincided with the service's growing confidence and an expanding catalog. But this latest 30% jump is the most aggressive yet, and it begs the question: has the value proposition kept pace with the price?

For consumers, this is another hit to the wallet in an increasingly expensive streaming landscape. Subscription fatigue is real, and every price hike forces a re-evaluation. Is Apple TV+ a "must-have" service or a "nice-to-have" one that gets cut when the budget tightens?

At $12.99, Apple TV+ is now priced similarly to the ad-free tiers of its main competitors. The key difference, however, remains the library size. While Netflix and Max boast massive back catalogs of licensed content, Apple TV+ remains a walled garden of originals. Its library is significantly smaller, though curated for quality. The value proposition is simple: you're paying for high-production, ad-free originals and, for soccer fans, the MLS.

This move solidifies a broader industry trend. The era of streaming services undercutting each other with impossibly low prices to acquire subscribers is over. Profitability is now the name of the game. We've seen it with Netflix, Disney+, and Max, and now Apple is firmly in the same camp. They've built the audience; now it's time to make the service financially sustainable.