With so many streamers adding commercials, increasing prices, merging content and cracking down on password sharing it’s hard to know which ones to keep. I recently dropped Paramount Plus because they’re capitulating to fascism, and am considering dropping AMC+ and MGM+ because I don’t use them much. (The Institue on MGM+ is absolute trash. I’m mad I started watching it!) I also subscribe to Netflix, HBO Max, Prime, Discovery+, Peacock, Howdy (that’s great actually), Disney, Starz, Hulu, PBS and Fubo, not to mention the fitness streamers I barely use. (Several of those services, like Hulu and Disney, and Discovery+ and HBO Max, have overlapping content too.) In my defense, I sometimes threaten to cancel them so I get better rates. Starz in particular is really generous with this. Also it’s my job to watch TV and movies and I cut cable about 9 months ago.
Apple TV+ started out at a relatively reasonable $4.99 a month when it launched in November, 2019. They raised prices to $6.99 in October, 2022 and had another $3 price raise in October, 2023. Apple TV+ just announced that prices will raise to $12.99 starting yesterday for new US customers and within 30 days of the renewal date for existing US customers. Guess that’s no longer me.
The last show I watched on Apple TV+ was Murderbot. Kaiser and I both enjoyed that and Severance, which we talked about on the podcast. I also liked Dark Matter, with Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly, which came out well over a year ago. (I intend to watch The Studio at some point. I will defintely see Highest 2 Lowest when it comes out September 5!) Chief of War is said to be great but that finishes airing in about a month. The Morning Show is popular, I know my mom watches it, and Palm Royale gets a lot of buzz. Season four of The Morning Show comes out on September 17 and season two of Palm Royal is out in November.
Apple is about to find out how much loyalty their subscribers have. Maybe I should give it a chance as their shows are typically excellent, but I doubt there’s enough content to keep me paying $12.99 a month. I’ve been watching older gems on Howdy and that’s just $3 a month.