As Apple TV+ Gets Pricier, Its focus on furthering disability representation makes it worth the cost
Benjamin Mayo reported for 9to5 Mac earlier this week Apple has raised the price of Apple TV+ to $13 per month in the United States and “some international markets.” The price hike comes from the previous $10 a month. TV+ cost $5 per month at the start.
The yearly subscription price of $99, as well as Apple One pricing, remains the same.
Mayo notes Apple said in a statement TV+ has grown its roster of original content since the service’s launch in November 2019, adding Apple One is “the easiest way to enjoy all of Apple’s subscription services in one plan at the best value.” (As an Apple One subscriber myself, that sentiment isn’t the least bit blustery; it really is a good deal.)
Although $13/month is on the expensive side (if you don’t get Apple One, anyway), I’d argue the money is well worth it—especially if you, like yours truly, are interested in seeing the disability community earnestly and genuinely represented in film and television. As I’ve said numerous times, it’s extremely noteworthy how Apple took its product-focused ethos on accessibility and adapted it for Hollywood. That the company chose to invest in, say, Deaf President Now and its history-making director is a direct reflection of the company’s empathy for the empowerment of disabled people vis-a-vis technology. Of course Apple’s motives aren’t entirely altruistic, but as with its software, that it has imbued TV+ with similar sensibilities is important considering the historical portrayal of disabled people in Hollywood—not to mention society’s viewpoint writ large. Moreover, while it’s valid to criticize TV+ for having a lackluster back catalog of licensed content, a cogent argument could be made that Apple has assembled the deepest roster of disability-forward storytelling of anyone in the game. And that includes Netflix, what with titles like Deaf U and All the Light We Cannot See. TV+ is popular because of Ted Lasso and Severance, and rightfully so, but it nonetheless shouldn’t go unnoticed how impactful something like Deaf President Now is on its own.
I’ve covered most, if not all, of these disability-centric shows on TV+ in the past:
Best Foot Forward
CODA
El Deafo
Life By Ella
Little Voice
See
Even if you dislike their entertainment value, all these shows deserve acclaim for their representational gains. They shouldn’t be disregarded simply for being a “bad” show.
Apple TV+ is much more than merely The Severance Service—and I love that show.
