Welcome to What I’m Hearing+, back in Brooklyn for a week. I’m doing a special mailbag issue next Tuesday, so reply to this email with burning streaming questions and I’ll try to include thoughtful responses in the next WIH+. (Don’t worry: names will be kept anonymous!)

Meanwhile, yesterday was a spooky fun day for Apple, which announced new hardware products during its Halloween showcase. Absent from the event, however, was an explanation for the second Apple TV+ price hike in two years—an increase of more than 45 percent. Today’s issue is dedicated to the rationale (beyond making more money) and some potential consequences. But first…

• YouTube’s Movie Value: A couple of weeks ago, I was on a panel during New York Advertising Week discussing how to harness the nebulous phenomena called fandom, and the ways to...