Apple has confirmed a price hike for its Apple TV+ streaming service, raising the monthly fee from $9.99 to $12.99 – a 30% jump – in the U.S. and selected international markets.

The increase applies immediately for new customers, while existing subscribers will see the higher rate kick in 30 days after their next renewal.

Apple’s US$99 (A$154) annual subscription and its Apple One bundle remain unchanged.

For Australian subscribers, Apple has yet to confirm if the local TV+ monthly fee will also rise from the current A$12.99.

Given Apple’s history of aligning pricing globally, local increases are likely in the coming weeks.

The move marks Apple’s third price increase in as many years. TV+ debuted in 2019 at US$4.99 per month as a low-cost entry into streaming, but steady hikes have brought it closer to rivals like Netflix and Disney+.

Unlike those services, however, Apple TV+ sticks to a single, ad-free tier with 4K HDR and Spatial Audio included.

Industry analysts say the jump reflects rising content costs as Apple continues to spend heavily on original programming.

The Information recently reported that Apple is losing more than US$1 billion a year on TV+, despite subscriber numbers climbing past 45 million.

The company spends an estimated US$4.5 billion annually on content, with big-budget originals such as Severance, Ted Lasso, Shrinking and The Morning Show.

Apple’s prestige-first approach has paid off in awards recognition. This year, Severance’s second season scored 27 Emmy nominations, helping Apple tally 81 overall. The platform also continues to invest in films, including the recent box-office hit F1: The Movie.

The timing aligns with a wider industry trend. Netflix, Disney+, Peacock and Spotify have all raised prices in 2025, citing production costs and investor pressure to improve profitability.

For Apple, services are increasingly important as hardware growth slows. In its latest quarter, Apple’s services division, which includes iCloud, Apple Music and TV+, delivered US$27.4 billion in revenue, up 13% year-on-year.