Apple TV raised its monthly price on August 28, 2026, to $14.99. The annual plan climbed to $119. But there are still four legitimate ways to get the service cheaper — and one way to get it completely free. Here is the full, current picture before you subscribe.
Apple TV keeps things deceptively simple on the surface — one plan, one price — but the ways to lower that price (or skip it entirely) are genuinely worth reading before you hand over your card number.
$14.99 per month as of August 28, 2026 — the fourth price increase since the service launched at $4.99 in 2019. New subscribers see the new price immediately; existing subscribers are notified about 30 days before their next billing date changes. The annual plan is $119 per year, working out to $9.92 per month effective — a savings of $60.88 compared to paying monthly all year. There is only one plan. Apple does not offer an ad-supported cheaper tier, a “basic” option, or any downgrade. Every subscriber gets the same 4K HDR picture, six simultaneous streams, and Family Sharing regardless of whether they pay monthly or annually.
No — Apple TV is completely ad-free across all content, at every price point. No pre-roll ads before shows, no commercial breaks mid-episode, and no ad-supported cheaper tier. This applies to original series, films, documentaries, and live sports (F1, MLS, and Friday Night Baseball). Apple is now the only major streaming service with no ad tier at all. Netflix, Max, Disney+, Peacock, Hulu, and Paramount+ all have ad-supported plans. If watching without commercials matters to you — especially for live sports, where virtually every other platform runs ads — Apple TV is the only option that delivers that across its entire library.
Six people can share one subscription — and all six can watch simultaneously on different devices, all in 4K. Apple TV includes Family Sharing at no extra charge on any plan. Each person uses their own Apple ID and has completely private viewing history and a separate watchlist. Nobody can see what anyone else has watched. At $14.99 total, that works out to roughly $2.50 per person per month for completely ad-free 4K streaming — a figure that looks very different from the sticker price once a household does the math. Family Sharing is available on both monthly and annual plans from day one.
Yes. New subscribers who have never previously paid for Apple TV get a seven-day free trial. You will need a payment method on file, but nothing is charged if you cancel before day seven. Separately, buying any new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV 4K hardware comes with three months free — this activates through the Apple TV app on your new device and has a time window after purchase, so claim it promptly. The longest path to free: signing up for Apple One, which offers a 30-day free trial on each service you have not previously subscribed to, making it the only way to get a full month of Apple TV at no cost.
No. Apple TV works on Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, and Hisense smart TVs (most 2018 and newer models have the Apple TV app built in), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox, Chromecast with Google TV, and any web browser at tv.apple.com. The only Apple requirement is a free Apple ID — an email and password registered with Apple, which costs nothing and requires no Apple hardware to create. If you used iTunes or bought an app years ago, that same Apple ID works. For smart TV owners without the app built in, a Roku Stick or Amazon Fire Stick adds full access for under $40.
Three sports are fully included with every Apple TV subscription at no extra cost: Formula 1 racing (every Grand Prix, qualifying, sprint races, and practice sessions — U.S. exclusive deal), Major League Soccer (every MLS regular season match, playoffs, and cup competitions — the former $14.99/month MLS Season Pass was discontinued after the 2025 season), and Friday Night Baseball (a weekly MLB doubleheader each Friday during the season). All three stream without ads, including during live play — something no competitor offers for live sports.
Apple and NBCUniversal’s Peacock launched a direct bundle available through peacocktv.com and the Apple TV app. Apple TV + Peacock Premium (with Peacock ads): $14.99/month. Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus (Peacock ad-free, except live sports): $19.99/month. Buying them separately now costs $14.99 (Apple TV) + $12.99 (Peacock Premium) = $27.98 — so the $14.99 bundle saves about $13/month on the lower tier. The combination is particularly strong for sports: Apple TV brings F1, MLS, and MLB; Peacock adds Premier League soccer, NFL Sunday Night Football, WWE, and the Olympics. No annual plan and no free trial are offered on the bundle. Note: Peacock raised its standalone prices in August 2026; the bundle prices shown here are current as of the time of publication.
It depends almost entirely on two things: whether you follow any of the three sports it carries, and whether you value a completely ad-free experience. If you are an F1 fan, Apple TV is the only legal option for watching live races in the United States — there is no alternative. If your household has three or more people sharing the subscription, the per-person cost drops well below any competitor. If you want a massive library of familiar titles to browse casually, Apple TV’s smaller catalog of originals is a genuine limitation. The service earned a record 89 Emmy nominations in 2026 — more than any other streamer — suggesting the quality argument remains strong even as the price has risen four times since 2019.
There is one plan and two billing frequencies. Here is what each delivers, and the key question that determines which one is right for you.
Both the monthly and annual prices went up in August 2026. Running the numbers is still worth doing before you commit, because the difference is now over $60 per year.
At $14.99/month, twelve months of monthly billing adds up to $179.88. The annual plan is $119 — that is $60.88 in savings, the equivalent of just over four free months. The effective monthly rate drops to $9.92. The break-even calculation: if you know you will keep Apple TV for at least eight months of the next twelve, the annual plan saves money. If there is any realistic chance you will cancel in the next few months — say you are subscribing for one show, or for an F1 season that ends in November — choose monthly and switch to annual at your next renewal if you decide to stay. Annual plans are non-refundable mid-year.
Apple One bundles Apple TV with other Apple services at a combined discount. The price is right for some households and genuinely not for others — here is how to tell which side you are on before signing up.
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| Service Included | Individual · $21.95/mo | Family · $27.95/mo | Premier · $39.95/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Apple Music | Yes ✓ (solo) | Yes ✓ (shared) | Yes ✓ (shared) |
| Apple Arcade | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ (shared) | Yes ✓ (shared) |
| iCloud+ Storage | 50 GB | 200 GB (shared) | 2 TB (shared) |
| Apple News+ | No ✗ | No ✗ | Yes ✓ (shared) |
| Apple Fitness+ | No ✗ | No ✗ | Yes ✓ (shared) |
| Apple Music shared | No — solo only | Yes — up to 6 | Yes — up to 6 |
| Max people on plan | 1 (Music) | Up to 6 | Up to 6 |
| F1, MLS, MLB sports | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Free trial | 30 days (new services) | 30 days (new services) | 30 days (new services) |
| Cancel anytime | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
Apple One pricing as of late August 2026. Individual plan went up to $21.95 on August 28, 2026; Family and Premier went up to $27.95 and $39.95 respectively in July 2026. Verify current pricing at apple.com/apple-one before subscribing.
Total what you currently pay for the services Apple One includes. Apple Music Individual now costs $11.99/month standalone. The cheapest iCloud paid tier (50 GB) is $0.99/month. Add Apple TV at $14.99 and those three services together cost $27.97/month — more than Apple One Individual at $21.95. If you already subscribe to Apple Music and any iCloud paid plan, Apple One Individual saves you at least $6/month and throws in Apple Arcade at no extra cost. If you only want Apple TV and do not use Apple Music, Apple One adds $7/month for services you will not use — standalone Apple TV at $14.99 is the smarter call. The Family plan at $27.95 becomes the strongest value when three or more people in the household all use Apple Music individually, since sharing through the Family plan covers everyone.
Beyond Apple One, several carriers and platforms offer Apple TV as part of a broader package. Check what you already pay for — the service may already be included, or bundled at a price that beats paying separately.
The Apple TV and Peacock bundle is available directly through peacocktv.com and the Apple TV app. Apple TV + Peacock Premium (ad-supported Peacock): $14.99/month. Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus (mostly ad-free Peacock): $19.99/month. Peacock raised its standalone prices to $12.99/month (Premium) and $19.99/month (Premium Plus) in late August 2026 — meaning the bundle at $14.99 now saves roughly $13/month on the lower tier compared to buying both at current standalone prices. The appeal is sports coverage: Apple TV carries F1, MLS, and Friday Night Baseball; Peacock carries the Premier League, NFL Sunday Night Football, the Olympics, and WWE. Both subscriptions are managed through a single monthly charge. No free trial is offered on the bundle, and no annual billing option is available.
T-Mobile has periodically offered Apple TV as an included perk with premium unlimited plans, with terms that shift between promotional cycles. As of early 2026, some Go5G Plus and qualifying plans included Apple TV at a reduced rate or offered trial periods. The quickest way to check: open the T-Mobile app, go to Benefits, and look for Apple TV. If it is listed, the current terms and any cost will be shown there. This is worth the 60 seconds it takes to check if you are already a T-Mobile customer — some subscribers have ongoing Apple TV access through their plan without ever having activated it.
Enrolled college students who subscribe to Apple Music’s Student Plan at $6.99/month receive Apple TV at no additional cost. That effectively makes Apple TV free on top of the music subscription for verified students. Eligibility requires active enrollment at an accredited college or university, verified annually through UNiDAYS or SheerID using a school email address. For students who already pay for Apple Music, this makes Apple TV a free addition — one of the most underused pricing paths Apple offers.
Several premium credit cards offer monthly streaming credits or entertainment benefits that can offset the cost of Apple TV. Cards from American Express (Platinum, Gold), Chase (Sapphire Reserve), and Citi (Prestige) have offered direct streaming service credits or cash-back on digital subscriptions. Check your card’s benefit portal to see whether Apple TV qualifies. Even cards without a specific streaming credit may offer 5–6% cash back on subscription purchases, which reduces the effective cost without requiring any action beyond using that card for billing.
There are four distinct paths to Apple TV at no cost. Most people only know about one of them.
Any new subscriber who has never previously paid for Apple TV gets seven days free. A payment method is required at signup, but nothing is charged if you cancel before the trial ends. Cancel through Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Apple TV on any Apple device, or through the Apple TV app on any supported platform. Seven days is enough time to finish two or three seasons of a show and assess whether the library suits your tastes. This trial is not available to anyone who previously subscribed, even years ago — Apple tracks by Apple ID.
Purchasing any new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV 4K device includes three months of Apple TV at no charge. This offer activates through the Apple TV app on your new device — look for the activation prompt in the first days after setup. If you have purchased an Apple device recently and have not claimed this, open the Apple TV app now; there is a limited activation window, typically 90 days from purchase. Three months free is enough to span an entire F1 race season or a full MLS playoff run.
Signing up for Apple One offers a 30-day free trial on each service you have not previously subscribed to. If you have never paid for Apple TV, Apple Music, or Apple Arcade, all three start free for a full month. This is the longest free access path currently available for Apple TV. Cancel at least one day before the 30-day mark through your Subscriptions settings. Your account retains access through the end of the trial period after cancellation.
Enrolled college students pay $6.99/month for Apple Music’s Student Plan and receive Apple TV as part of that plan at no additional cost — making Apple TV itself effectively free for the duration of enrollment. Annual re-verification with a school email is required. This is the cheapest recurring path to Apple TV for anyone who qualifies.
The sports lineup changed substantially starting in 2026. Here is exactly what is in, what is out, and what that means for the average subscriber’s decision.
- Formula 1 — U.S. exclusive through 2031: Apple holds the exclusive U.S. rights to Formula 1 under a five-year deal. Every Grand Prix, every qualifying session, every sprint race, every practice session — all included with a standard Apple TV subscription, ad-free. F1 TV Premium (previously a $79.99/year standalone subscription) is now available directly inside the Apple TV app for subscribers at no extra cost. Some free practice sessions and a limited number of race broadcasts are also available in the Apple TV app without a paid subscription, as part of Apple’s agreement to grow the sport’s U.S. audience. This is the only legal way to watch live F1 in the United States.
- Major League Soccer — Every Match: The separate MLS Season Pass, which previously cost $14.99/month or $99/year, was discontinued after the 2025 MLS season. Every regular-season match, the Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, MLS All-Star Game, and MLS Cup Playoffs are now included in the standard Apple TV subscription. MLS season ticket holders also receive a full Apple TV subscription as part of their ticket package — upgraded from the previous MLS Season Pass-only benefit.
- Friday Night Baseball (MLB): A weekly Friday evening doubleheader of Major League Baseball games, broadcast ad-free without local blackout restrictions applying to these specific games. The Friday Night Baseball package has been part of Apple TV since 2022 and continues as an included benefit with no separate subscription required.
Apple TV does not broadcast NFL games (those are split between NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN, and Amazon Prime Video), NBA basketball, NHL hockey, college football, college basketball, NASCAR, PGA Tour golf, or any international soccer leagues outside of MLS. If the sports that matter most to your household are NFL, NBA, NHL, or college sports, Apple TV on its own will not meet that need. The Apple TV + Peacock bundle at $14.99/month adds NBC’s sports coverage — NFL Sunday Night Football, Premier League, Olympics, and WWE — and meaningfully broadens the sports footprint for households where those sports matter alongside F1, MLS, or MLB.
All prices reflect current U.S. rates for ad-free plans. Apple TV is now among the mid-tier streamers by price — no longer the clear cheapest option after four consecutive increases since 2019.
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| Feature | Apple TV · $14.99 | Netflix Std · $22.99 | Max (no ads) · ~$16.99 | Disney+ · $15.99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (no ads) | $14.99 | $22.99 | ~$16.99 | $15.99 |
| Annual plan available | Yes · $119/yr ✓ | No ✗ | Yes (varies) | Yes |
| Any ads at all | Never — 100% ad-free ✓ | Ad tier available | Ad tier available | Ad tier available |
| Simultaneous streams | 6 streams ✓ | 2 streams | 2–3 streams | 4 streams |
| 4K HDR streaming | All content ✓ | Premium plan only | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Offline downloads | Unlimited ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Family Sharing | Up to 6 people ✓ | Household only | Household enforced | Household enforced |
| Formula 1 racing | U.S. exclusive ✓ | No ✗ | No ✗ | No ✗ |
| Live sports overall | F1, MLS, MLB | WWE only | No ✗ | ESPN+ add-on |
| Content library size | Small — originals only | Very large ✓ | Large ✓ | Medium |
| Free trial | 7 days | None currently | 7 days | 7 days |
| All major devices | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
The fourth price increase in four years makes this question more pointed than it used to be. Here is an honest assessment — organized around the situations where it clearly earns its keep, and the situations where it probably doesn’t.
- You follow Formula 1 racing. Apple TV holds the exclusive U.S. broadcast rights through at least 2031. There is no other legal streaming option for live races in this country. The subscription is the cost of admission, full stop.
- You follow MLS soccer. Every match across the full season and playoffs is now included — no separate Season Pass required. For MLS fans, this is the only destination.
- Your household has three or more people sharing the subscription. Six simultaneous streams at $14.99 total works out to roughly $2.50 per person — competitive with any service on the market for families who watch different things at different times.
- Watching without ads matters to you, especially for live sports. No other major streaming service offers fully ad-free live sports at this price.
- You already pay for Apple Music and a paid iCloud tier. Upgrading to Apple One Individual at $21.95 covers all three services for less than you currently pay for just the two.
- You watch critically acclaimed drama, limited series, or documentary content and care more about consistency of quality than total volume. Apple TV earned 89 Emmy nominations in 2026 — more than any other streamer — and leads most critics’ lists for average quality per title.
- Your main activity on streaming is browsing. Netflix’s catalog runs roughly 10–15 times larger than Apple TV’s library of originals. If you want something to scroll through on a Saturday night without a specific show in mind, Netflix and Max are better fits for that habit.
- Your household’s primary sports interest is NFL, NBA, NHL, or college sports. Apple TV carries none of those. You would need Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or a comparable live TV service to cover them.
- You want live news channels, cable networks, or the familiar experience of channel surfing. Apple TV is an on-demand originals service — it is not a cable or satellite replacement.
- You have tried the free trial, watched every show that interested you, and are not compelled by what is left or coming next. That is a valid conclusion — the library is small enough that some people exhaust their interest in it within a month.
You do not need one. Open your smart TV’s app store — Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, and Hisense smart TVs from 2018 forward all have the Apple TV app available — search for “Apple TV,” download the free app, and sign in. You will need a free Apple ID; create one at appleid.apple.com using any email address, including Gmail or Outlook. If your television does not have the app, a Roku Stick ($29–$39) or Amazon Fire TV Stick gives you full access. PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox, and Google Chromecast with Google TV all work as well. The Apple TV website at tv.apple.com also streams everything in a browser on Windows or Android. Apple ID is the only Apple product required.
This is one of the clearest purchasing decisions in streaming right now. Apple TV is the only legal way to watch live Formula 1 races in the United States. ESPN, which previously held the rights, will not broadcast future seasons under the new deal. The Apple TV subscription gives you every Grand Prix, qualifying session, sprint race, and practice session — plus F1 TV Premium content (multi-camera views, driver radios, on-board cameras) at no additional charge beyond the standard subscription. For the annual F1 calendar, which runs from March through December, the annual plan at $119 breaks even after roughly eight months — meaning subscribing for the full season costs about $89 if you start in March and cancel when the season ends in late November. Monthly at $14.99 for nine months is $134.91 — still more than the annual plan. If F1 is the primary reason, the annual plan is the smarter financial choice.
Apple TV includes Family Sharing with up to six people on any subscription — monthly or annual. No additional charge, no “extra member” fees, no per-screen upcharge. Each person needs their own Apple ID but otherwise has a fully independent experience — private watchlist, separate viewing history, personalized recommendations. The annual plan at $119 divided across six people works out to about $1.65 per person per month for completely ad-free 4K streaming on six simultaneous screens. Set up Family Sharing through the Settings app on any Apple device, or at appleid.apple.com → Family Sharing. The account holder invites up to five other people via email. Everyone’s access starts immediately after accepting the invitation.
Subscribing monthly, watching the show over a few weeks, and then canceling is exactly how Apple TV is designed to be used. There is no early cancellation fee and no minimum commitment. Your access continues through the end of the billing period you paid for — so if you cancel ten days into a month, you still have the remaining twenty days. Your watchlist and viewing progress are saved to your Apple ID, so if a second season drops next year, you can re-subscribe and pick up exactly where you left off. Apple TV releases most shows weekly rather than all at once, so for a current series you might need two or three billing months to get through a full season — still well under the annual plan cost.
Run the specific math for your situation. Apple Music Individual is now $11.99/month. The cheapest paid iCloud plan (50 GB) is $0.99/month. If you add Apple TV at $14.99, those three services total $27.97/month. Apple One Individual — which includes all three plus Apple Arcade — is $21.95/month. That is a $6.02 monthly savings plus Apple Arcade added at no extra cost. The math works clearly in Apple One’s favor if you already pay for Apple Music and any iCloud tier. The one nuance: Apple One Individual does not let you share Apple Music with family members — that requires the Family plan at $27.95/month, which includes shareable Apple Music for up to six people alongside all other services.
If you are billed for Peacock directly (not through a carrier or third party) and want to add Apple TV, the Apple TV + Peacock bundle at $14.99/month is almost certainly the right move. The bundle now costs less than Peacock Premium standalone after Peacock’s August 2026 price increase brought its standalone price to $12.99/month — meaning at the $14.99 bundle price, Apple TV is effectively only $2 more per month on top of your existing Peacock cost. For the $19.99 tier (which gets you Peacock ad-free), you are getting both services at a combined price that beats buying them separately by a meaningful margin. Switch through peacocktv.com/bundle/apple-tv — existing Peacock subscribers can log in and upgrade to the bundle from their account settings.
Apple TV has no cancellation fee and no minimum term on the monthly plan. Here is exactly how to cancel based on where you subscribed — because canceling in the wrong place does not actually stop the billing.
- No cancellation fee. Monthly subscribers cancel cleanly with no penalty, ever.
- Access continues to the end of the period you paid for. Cancel on day five of a billing month and you watch until day thirty.
- Annual plan: no refund for unused months. Apple does not issue partial refunds for annual subscribers who cancel early. If you are on the annual plan and want to cancel, do it the day before your next renewal to avoid being charged another full year.
- Your watchlist and viewing progress are saved. Canceling does not delete your account data. If you resubscribe later with the same Apple ID, everything is exactly where you left it.
Go to Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Apple TV → Cancel Subscription. Confirm the cancellation on the next screen. You will see the date your access ends — it will be the last day of the current billing period, not the day you cancel.
Go to Apple menu → System Settings → [your name] → Media & Purchases → Manage → Cancel next to Apple TV. If you are on an older macOS, the path is System Preferences → Apple ID → Media & Purchases.
Go to Settings → Users and Accounts → [your account] → Subscriptions → Apple TV → Cancel Subscription.
Cancel through that platform — not through Apple. If you signed up via the Roku Channel, cancel in your Roku account. If you signed up through Amazon Prime Video Channels, cancel through your Amazon account at amazon.com/your-subscriptions. Canceling through Apple will not stop billing from a third-party platform, and you will continue to be charged until you cancel at the source. Check your original confirmation email or bank statement to identify which platform billed you when you first subscribed.
All pricing reflects publicly available U.S. Apple rates current as of August 28, 2026: Apple TV $14.99/month or $119/year; Apple One Individual $21.95/month, Family $27.95/month, Premier $39.95/month; Apple TV + Peacock Premium bundle $14.99/month, Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus bundle $19.99/month. Apple adjusts pricing, bundle availability, promotional offers, free trial eligibility, and sports rights periodically — verify current figures directly at apple.com/apple-tv-plus and apple.com/apple-one before subscribing. Apple TV is a registered trademark of Apple Inc. This content is independent and is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by Apple Inc. or any other named company.