Apple TV just got more expensive, but I still think it's the best deal in streaming

Last year, I made the case that paying $99 per year for Apple TV was completely worth it. The catalog continues to expand in ways that should make HBO viewers jealous. But now, the price has increased from $99 to $119 per year. So, the simple question remains. Is Apple TV still worth it?

No one likes paying more if they don't need to. But even with its $20-per-year price increase, it's a good value. I'm having a hard time seeing how it's not worth it.

If you don't like long-term commitments, the monthly price has increased, too, from $12.99 to $14.99. Not all budgets can absorb the extra costs, and yet, that price still undercuts most other services' ad-free tiers.

Not all streaming services are equal. You'll need to enjoy the programming to get the value. But here's a breakdown of what I mean when I say it's still worth paying for, even with a higher price.

The cost breakdown of Apple TV and streaming video services

At its basic level, Apple TV is an ad-free streaming video service. It has hundreds of original shows and movies. Yes, hundreds of things to watch—more than 300. That includes some TV series that have four or five seasons. The content covers all genres, from sci-fi and thrillers to children's and travel.

Apple TV doesn't have the back catalog that television networks like CBS and NBC do, but Apple has a wealth of original programming.

In terms of how it fits in monetarily, here's a comparison between ad-free yearly pricing for streaming services and how that breaks down to a per-month cost.

If you don't mind ads or are willing to put up with them, then these are the prices per year. Apple TV isn't included because it doesn't have an ad-free option.

Even in the best-case scenario, like with Paramount+, you're only saving $2.50 per month to watch ads—probably a lot of them—over the ad-free Apple TV. For HBO Max, you're saving about $0.80 per month, compared to Apple TV, to watch ads.

The extras and live sports

The perception is that Apple TV has Ted Lasso and Severance. Those are great shows, but they're far from the only thing to watch.

For prestige TV viewing, Widow's Bay, Maximum Pleasure Guaranteed, and Slow Horses will top my list of some of the best shows of the year, across any service. That doesn't even account for the new seasons ofSilo, Dark Matter, Shrinking, Margot's Got Money Problems, Star City, and so many other new ones to have a release in 2026. There's a chance Neuromancer is the next big show when it debuts in early 2027.

The wild card here is how sports factor in. Peacock has its hand in a variety of options, including Sunday Night Baseball, and Netflix has a few upcoming NFL holiday games. Paramount+ will get you even more NFL games. For several months out of the year, subscribing to those services for sports is compelling.

While Apple has two Friday Night Baseball games each week, its live sports offerings revolve around Formula 1 and Major League Soccer.

I won't argue that racing and soccer are reasons to sign up for Apple TV, but the flip side is that I've become a fan of those sports because I've had full access to them. Those two sports stretch across a good chunk of the year too. They've now become another sticking point that would make it hard to leave Apple's service.

Is Apple TV worth subscribing to?

Whether Apple TV is worth subscribing to will depend on your content habits and how much you value an ad-free experience. Ad-supported services make the costs more manageable, but far less enjoyable.

Maybe it's my bias for how I expected Disney+ and Hulu to handle ads, but in my experience, they're some of the worst offenders in terms of ad quality and repetition. My kids were repeating drug company slogans for a while because of it.

Apple TV may be $119 per year, but for the best new original programming, it's unbeatable. So, good content, no ads, and a price that undercuts others means that Apple TV still feels like a steal, for now.