Apple TV+ Subscription Price Goes Up & Competition In Streaming Continues

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Starting this month subscription price for Apple TV+ streaming services is going up from $4.99 to $6.99. I am a long time user of Apple products and have used Apple TV+ since it started a couple of years ago. I always thought their monthly subscription fee of $5 was very low, and have expected that it would go up at some point. Even with this increase this subscription fee is among the lowest compared to other streaming platforms. Yet again, I am impressed with Apple's business strategy and deliver of quality services. Apple's streaming platform has been growing slowly but steadily. They keep adding new Apple Original content and growing their collection of movies, documentaries, and TV shows.

Apple's entry into TV business was among one of the top goals of Steve Jobs. It took them a while to get here, but now that they are among the contenders to remain as major streaming platforms, it is great to see Apple to be successful, once again. Not only when Apple TV+ was first launched the subscription price was super low at $5, they offered these services for free for a year for those who purchased apple products like iPhones, Apple TV devices, etc. Apple has been able to build a loyal customer base with their quality products and how they all integrate into one ecosystem. It was a clever business strategy to focus on their customer base and offer them additional value. In return their customers did not disappoint them either. Their streaming is growing, and other streaming platform may want to reevaluate their business strategies.

When Apple's TV goals were only rumors, I didn't quite understand what their plan was. Are they trying to make a TV? ~ I would wonder. I didn't really understand what they goal was at that time. Small Apple TV devices were useful, and they kept getting better. They never were expensive, so it would make sense for any Apple product user to have one of those. They worked well with other Apple devices. Later it became clear, that Apple did not was to make TVs. They wanted to reinvent TV experience. Of course they were late to the streaming game. Netflix, Hulu and others already dominated the space and had market shares split already. But when Apple puts its mind into something, they do indeed think outside the box, while creating magical boxes.

There is a reason Apple is the highest valued company in the world. Technology is about innovations in hardware and software. Some companies are really good at hardware innovations, others are great at software. It is rare to see a company that does well with both, and able to influence human experiences in daily lives. For example, Microsoft has been a top software company for a long time, Samsung has been great at all tech hardware. Both struggled when it came to do both. Apple on the other has been doing this since the beginning of the company. This and its ability to focus on what it does best, has made it one of the successful companies in the world, despite the years of failure they have had in the past.

Many of us would attribute Apple's success stories to Steve Jobs. And it true. It was the Job's vision and stubborn insistence of highest quality made Apple what it is today. Even after he passed away, I can see his vision and business strategy being implement with Apple TV plus. True innovators and visionaries inspire many, especially those who worked closely with them. These people carry on the torch and continue innovating in the same manner for a long time. Just like with many other products and services Apple has delivered, I don't think Apple looks at its new endeavor in streaming as competition. I doubt they even consider any competition edges or angles in their business planning meetings. It seems they just embrace their passion to creating something new, something useful, something amazing. If it works great, continue innovating. If it doesn't, so be it.

It is not easy for companies to enter new markets and try to gain market share. This is true event for the biggest companies in the world. Look at Microsoft. They have tried to enter search market with beam, failed. They tried to enter mobile phones market with mobile windows phones, later with Nokia partnership, etc. All failed. They tried to get into music business with Zune. Nobody knows what Zune is. Forget about entering new markets, it is difficult to hold on the the market shares companies are in. Technology doesn't stop, it continues to advance forwards with newer and better innovations. Same thing is happening with streaming. Netflix was brilliant to create the space and have done great as business. I still love their business strategy. But they too have been struggling as of late. There are a lot more competitors in the streaming space today.

However, streaming competitions seems to be different than other markets. Yes it is great to see competitions. It is great for customers. We get to see quality, we get to see better prices. This will continues. I think this competition can continue with all participants in play. We the customers, don't have to choose between these services. We can if we want to. But it looks like we will just keep using multiple services and let them all exist. All while they continue competing to earn our business. Sounds like everybody wins.

There also has to be losers. Those who fail to improve in quality of their content and services will probably won't survive. User experience of these platforms is important too. While Apple TV+ doesn't have large collection of content like Netflix, Paramount+, Disney+, and others, I think Apples user experience is the best at this time. Paramount+ has been improving a lot too. Amazon's Prime video services have not been doing that great. They do offer some content that may not be available in other places, but I have notices some technical issues with their services. Amazon is good at fixing things. If they want to stay in the space, I am sure they will figure things out as well.

Apple has continuously been bringing new TV Shows and movies. I have written about some of them in the past. One of the best ones is the TV show SEE. But there are many more. Among the lates new seasons are Mythic Quest and The Mosquito Coast. There are also new TV series like Echo 3. If you want to watch a holidays themed movies, there is Spirited. I am glad Apple is doing great and wants to have permanent presence in streaming. New content and delivering quality service costs money. $7 a month for such services is not bad at all. I am sure they will continue raising the fee sometime in the future. It seems they are doing it is a smart way by still keeping the subscription price low, and not driving people away. In my opinion anything under $15 a month for streaming service is reasonable, as long as they have quality content.

One question I have is, wether Apple TV+ is available in non-Apple devices and TVs? For Apple product users who most likely also have Apple TV devices, access to Apple TV+ is easy. I am curious to know how those who prefer non-Apple products could use Apple TV+ streaming. If you know, please let me know in the comments. What are your thoughts about Apple TV+ or streaming competition?

Posted Using LeoFinance Beta



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42 comments
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It's pretty crazy when you think about it. Streaming was awesome back in the day but it honestly pretty much sucks now. If you want all the channels and such that cable once provided you're now right back up to paying just as much as cable. The plus is you don't have to watch all those dumb commercials though at least for the most part.

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It has always sucked, I joke around that Netflix is great if you like to watch movies and shows from 1970-1990.

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There are to positives of streaming though. First, these monopoly cable companies losing market share. Second, there is always an option to cancel the subscription and restart again when needed. It is annoying to manage multiple subscriptions, but it is still better.

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So pathetic that price of various things keep skyrocketing daily.
Over here (Nigeria), many people have choose to opt out of several things due to rapid increase in Price

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I have Christmas break coming up, do you suggest Apple Originals or some other services instead?

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I would recommend Apple Originals, at least as a trial. I do like other platforms like Netflix, Paramount+ as well.

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Amazon is alright, there are a few good originals and the obvious flops.

I have not subscribed to Apple TV+ and Apple is giving out free trials, thanks for the recommendations I will give it a try.

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Something wasn't working properly in Amazon app for me, for some reason. It seems they have neglected it.

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Strategy, I believe, is very cogent in being successful. AppleTV+ may not be all about how to beat Netflix, or Paramount+, or Disney+, in their meetings. But for a fact that they take customer experience as the top of their priorities proves they know what they're doing.

When revenues alone become the centre of attention, many things tend to fall by the wayside, thereby allowing for stunted growth eventually.

Netflix is a big boy, however, they are making a whole lot of shitty content lately. And it just seems they care so little about optimal customer experience.

I am not much of an Apple user. But with a TV show like SEE, which is arguably one of the best series this year, especially with their banger third season (a perfect ending, if you ask me), they know it's not about speed (quantity) but about strength (quality).

I think anything less than $8 is fine for a streaming service. With the varying price rates, weight of bills vary everywhere. $15 is an insane amount over here, considering the usage of multiple streaming services by many.

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When you start adding up streaming services, the monthly amount can be substantial.

In-App purchases and loot boxes ruined gaming, games become substandard, free is obviously not sustainable, maybe subscription is the happy middle ground? Still have to pick and choose!

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Free can never be sustainable. And so, the service providers had to stick with subscription services as the in-app purchases weren't doing the trick. Yet, I believe moderation is key to lasting success. You don't want to scare people off with exorbitant charges.

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Good thing is we have Hive and communities like CineTV. Hive people can blog about their movie and tv show experiences and cover the subscription fees.

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This is why I don't pay for any of these streaming services... it's going to cost more than cable TV. Torrenting is going to make a major comeback, hopefully.

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Streaming experience is better using one of these platforms though. Write a review of what you watched and perhaps Hive can cover the fees.

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it was too late to increase in price because the others had already jumped up a long time ago.

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That's true other were increasing fees before Apple. That makes Apple even smarter.

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(Edited)

There's also a news that Apple is blocking the newest version of Coinbase. It is said that it is blocking the newest edition of the app because of the NFT transactions. They want 30% of the gas fees which is absurd. Coinbase never profit on gas fees.

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I saw that news. It will be interesting to see how it develops. Eventually Apple will have to embrace crypto, or at least the decentralized ones.

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What a great business plan for winning patronage to their side, with even $7 a month still sound so cheap with such volume of value been given . Apple knows and understand the peoples psychology. $5 for years means retention strategy and a little step up in service cost won't threaten subscribes pocket knowing that this increase in price is long anticipated.
Good service quality low price... Only found among the heroes of in the business.
#LeoFinance

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They want 30% of the gas fees which is absurd. Coinbase never profit on gas fees. What a great business plan for winning patronage to their side, with even $7 a month still sound so cheap with such volume of value been given .

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It won't be long before the average household has to have 40 streaming services for $900/month.

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(Edited)

That seems like where we are heading. Lucky for us, we have Hive to cover the costs.
I can't imagine to be able to manage that many subscriptions though. Somebody will have to come up with a way to manage all subscriptions in one place. Maybe Apple can do that!

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I hate all the subscription service for streaming because it sucks away so much money. So I just reactivate when there is something I want to watch and I can binge watch them. With all the other alternatives, I just can't see myself worrying about Apple itself and I never used Apple TV.

Posted Using LeoFinance Beta

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Ability to subscribe or cancel anytime is great. Not many pay close attention to this, and end up paying fees even when they don't use the services. I cancel subscriptions as soon as I realize they haven't been used for a while. However, I do keep some subscriptions regardless I use or not, just because they do a good job.

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The folks at Apple are indeed long term thinkers and their motto has always been 'think different'. With their loyal customer base they can pretty much break into any industry a have a piece of the pie. What I love about them is their customer centric approach. The customer is at the center while their services and products are orbiting the customer ready to serve their needs and/or wants.

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I get Apple TV+ free through my cell phone plan on T Mobile, so I am not too worried about the extra cost. I have been really impressed with the quality of programing that they have been delivering anyway. Shows like Shantaram and See are a couple of my favorites. They are doing a good job of getting A list talent and putting together some really well written and produced content.

Posted Using LeoFinance Beta

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Nice! I didn't know T-mobile had this offer. I agree, Apple TV+ is getting better as time goes by.

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It was a while ago. It looks like now TMobile is giving us a free year of paramount +

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Several people have recommended Apple TV to me, but for some reason I'm still attached to Netflix. The experience with what Amazon offers has been good but not excellent, and I must admit that since a couple of years ago Netflix in Argentina is leaving much to be desired, but I still keep finding series or movies that catch me and I'm avoiding falling into a vice of platforms that can lead me to perdition, hehe. However, the promotion of Apple TV's excellence is being so clear and transparent, that I am being tempted. I don't get a single advertisement from Apple, but users who recommend it to me, and that gives me a lot of confidence.

I have no idea whether or not it can be played on non-Apple devices, but I think it can, since the Apple cloud can be opened from any device. I assume it will work the same way.

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I do like both Netflix and Apple TV+. They are my top streaming platforms now. I do like Netflix better, because when they release TV series, all episodes are available right away. Apple doesn't do that. It releases one episode every week.

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I signed up for the student plan which offers Apple Music for half price and Apple TV+ for free. I love the service so far.

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I didn't know they had a student plan. Thanks for the info.

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So far I have been using just Netflix and I a not so knowledgeable about the competition. It is interesting to see Apple TV+ get such a good review though.

When you said

It seems they just embrace their passion to creating something new, something useful, something amazing. If it works great, continue innovating. If it doesn't, so be it.

Read a lot like your bio

I just want to put some positive stuff out there. If it works, great. If it doesn't, no problem.

Thank you for your informative post.

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That's why I like Apple.

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Lol, that sounds like a nice reason.

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yea, still low, but doin the creep up..

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