Apple TV+ now includes Formula 1, MLS soccer, and MLB Friday Night Baseball alongside its acclaimed original library — all 100% ad-free, all 4K, and shareable with up to six people. Here’s the full pricing picture, including every legitimate way to pay less.
Apple TV+ is deceptively simple — one plan, one price — but the ways to get it cheaper or free are genuinely worth knowing before you pay full price. These are the questions that matter most.
1 How much does Apple TV+ cost per month right now? $12.99/month for a single subscription with no ads, 4K HDR, six simultaneous streams, and Family Sharing. Annual plan: $99.99/year — about $8.33/month effective, saving roughly $56 over monthly billing. ▼
2 Do I need to own an Apple device to subscribe to Apple TV+? No. Apple TV+ works on Samsung, LG, and Sony smart TVs (via a free app), Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, Chromecast, and web browsers. You need an Apple ID, not Apple hardware. ▼
3 How many people can watch Apple TV+ at the same time on one account? Six simultaneous streams — no extra charge. Apple TV+ includes Family Sharing, allowing up to six people to share one subscription. Each person has their own private watchlist and viewing history. ▼
4 Is there an Apple TV+ free trial available right now? Yes — a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. Additionally, buying any new Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV 4K) comes with 3 months free. Apple One bundles offer a 30-day free trial on all services you haven’t previously subscribed to. ▼
5 Does Apple TV+ have ads? No — Apple TV+ is completely ad-free at every price point. There are no commercial breaks, no pre-roll ads, and no ad-supported cheaper tier. This applies to original content, live sports, and all on-demand viewing. ▼
6 What does Apple TV+ actually cost compared to Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+? At $12.99/month ad-free, Apple TV+ is cheaper than Netflix Standard ($19.99), Max ad-free (~$15.99), and similar to Disney+ No Ads ($13.99). It has fewer total titles than all three but arguably higher average quality per show. ▼
7 What sports are included with Apple TV+ in 2026? Three sports are now fully included at no extra charge: Formula 1 racing (U.S. exclusive through 2031), MLS soccer (all matches, all season), and Friday Night Baseball (weekly MLB doubleheader). No separate subscription required for any of them. ▼
8 What is the Apple TV + Peacock bundle and is it worth it? Apple and Peacock now offer a direct bundle: Apple TV + Peacock Premium for $14.99/month (saves 37% vs. buying separately). Or Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus for $19.99/month. Worth it for F1 fans — Peacock has NBC sports coverage, Apple has F1 racing. ▼
Apple TV+ offers three ways to pay for the same content: monthly, annually, or bundled inside Apple One. Here’s what each one delivers and who it’s right for.
Apple only raised the monthly price in 2025 — the annual plan stayed at $99.99. That decision made the annual plan a significantly better deal than it used to be.
If you know you’ll keep Apple TV+ for at least 8 months out of the next 12, the annual plan saves money. Here’s the comparison: 12 months at $12.99 = $155.88. Annual plan = $99.99. That’s $55.89 in savings per year — the equivalent of more than four free months. The effective monthly rate drops to $8.33, making it the cheapest ad-free streaming service in the U.S. at that rate. The catch: annual subscriptions are non-refundable if you cancel before the year ends. Don’t choose annual if there’s any chance you’ll cancel in the next few months. If you’re on the fence, try a month first, then switch to annual at your next renewal if you’ve decided to stick with it.
Apple One bundles multiple Apple subscriptions together at a discounted combined price. It’s genuinely worth it for some households and genuinely not for others — here’s how to tell which side you’re on.
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| Service Included | Individual · $19.95/mo | Family · $27.95/mo | Premier · $39.95/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apple TV+ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ | Yes ✓ |
| Apple Music | Yes ✓ | 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) |
| Family Sharing | TV+ + Arcade only | All services ✓ | All services ✓ |
| Max people sharing | 1 person (Music) | Up to 6 people | Up to 6 people |
| 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 verified July 2026. Individual Apple Music cannot be shared on the Individual plan — only Family and Premier allow shared Apple Music. Verify current pricing at apple.com/apple-one before subscribing.
Add up what you currently pay for the services Apple One includes. If you already subscribe to Apple Music ($10.99/month individual) and have a paid iCloud plan (50GB costs $0.99/month), those two combined cost $11.98/month. Adding Apple TV+ at $12.99 would bring your total to $24.97 — more than Apple One Individual at $19.95. That math makes Apple One a clear win for existing Apple Music + iCloud users. If you only want Apple TV+ and don’t use Apple Music or need extra iCloud storage, Apple One adds $7/month for services you won’t use — in that case, standalone Apple TV+ is the simpler, cheaper answer. The Family plan ($27.95) is the strongest value for 3–6 people who all use Apple Music — splitting six people across it makes each person’s effective cost under $5/month for all services combined.
Beyond Apple One, several telecom and streaming companies have bundled Apple TV+ into their own plans. Check what you already pay for — Apple TV+ may already be included.
Apple and Peacock launched a direct bundle: Apple TV + Peacock Premium (with ads): $14.99/month — saving 37% versus buying both separately. Or Apple TV + Peacock Premium Plus (ad-free Peacock): $19.99/month — saving 33%. For context, Apple TV alone is $12.99 and Peacock Premium alone is $10.99 — together without a bundle that’s $23.98. This deal is particularly compelling for sports fans: Apple TV has F1 and MLS; Peacock has Premier League soccer, NFL Sunday Night Football, WWE, and the Olympics. Both services ad-free (Peacock Plus version) for $19.99 is a genuinely competitive sports and entertainment package. Available through the Apple TV app.
T-Mobile periodically bundles Apple TV+ as a perk with premium unlimited plans. The availability and duration of this perk changes with T-Mobile’s promotional cycles — check your T-Mobile account under “Benefits” to see if Apple TV+ is currently listed for your specific plan. Some Go5G Plus and Experience More subscribers have received Apple TV+ as an ongoing benefit at no additional charge. If you have T-Mobile and haven’t checked your benefits recently, this is worth the 60-second verification.
Apple TV+ doesn’t have its own standalone student discount, but enrolled college students who subscribe to Apple Music’s Student Plan ($5.99/month) receive Apple TV+ included at no extra cost. If you’re a student or have a student in your household, the Apple Music Student Plan is the cheapest legitimate path to Apple TV+ — $5.99/month covers both services. Verify current eligibility at apple.com — the student plan requires verification through UNiDAYS or SheerID with a school email address.
Several credit cards in 2026 include Apple TV+ as a cardholder perk — particularly travel and premium lifestyle cards. Cards from American Express (Platinum and Gold tiers), Chase (Sapphire Reserve), and Citi (Prestige) have offered streaming credits or direct service inclusions. Check your current credit card’s benefit portal for any streaming or entertainment credits that could offset your Apple TV+ subscription cost. Even cards that don’t include Apple TV+ directly may offer 5–6% cash back on streaming purchases, which at $12.99/month amounts to $7–$9 back per year.
There are four legitimate paths to Apple TV+ at no cost — and most people only know about one of them.
Any new Apple TV+ subscriber who has never previously paid for the service gets a 7-day free trial. You’ll need to provide payment information, but you’re charged nothing if you cancel before the trial ends. This is enough time to watch two to three seasons of a show, sample the sports coverage, and determine whether the library fits your viewing habits. Cancel through your Apple ID settings (Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Apple TV+) or through the Apple TV app before day 7.
Buying any new iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, or Apple TV 4K hardware includes 3 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 few days after setup. If you see it, claim it before it expires. The offer typically requires activation within 90 days of purchase. For someone who just bought a new iPhone or iPad and hasn’t activated this perk yet, it’s worth doing immediately.
Apple One offers a 30-day free trial on any service you haven’t previously subscribed to. If you’ve never paid for Apple TV+, Apple Music, or Apple Arcade, signing up for Apple One gives you a full month of all three (plus iCloud+) at no charge. This is the longest free Apple TV+ trial currently available. Cancel at least one day before the 30-day mark to avoid being charged. After canceling, your account retains access through the end of the trial period.
Enrolled college students pay $5.99/month for Apple Music’s Student Plan and receive Apple TV+ at no extra cost as part of that plan. This means Apple TV+ is effectively free on top of the music subscription for verified students. Eligibility requires active enrollment at an accredited college or university and annual re-verification.
The sports lineup changed substantially in 2026. Here’s exactly what you get and what’s still missing — so you know before you subscribe whether Apple TV+ covers the sports your household follows.
- Formula 1 — U.S. exclusive through 2031: Every Grand Prix race, all qualifying sessions, every sprint race, every practice session. Multi-camera angles, driver’s-eye views, and dedicated race features — all ad-free. This is the only legal way to watch F1 live in the United States.
- Major League Soccer (MLS) — All matches: Every regular-season MLS game, the Leagues Cup, the MLS All-Star Game, Campeones Cup, and the MLS Cup Playoffs. The former MLS Season Pass ($14.99/month extra) was discontinued in December 2025. All MLS content is now included at no extra cost. MLS season ticket holders also receive an Apple TV+ subscription as part of their package.
- Friday Night Baseball (MLB): A weekly doubleheader of Major League Baseball games every Friday during the season. No ads. Available even in markets where local blackout rules apply to other MLB broadcasts.
Apple TV+ does not broadcast NFL games (those are on NBC, Fox, CBS, ESPN/ABC, and Amazon Prime Video), NBA basketball, NHL hockey, college football, college basketball, NASCAR, golf tournaments, or international soccer leagues other than MLS. If your primary sports interest is NFL, NBA, NHL, or college sports, Apple TV+ alone won’t cover your needs. The Apple TV + Peacock bundle adds NBC’s sports coverage (NFL Sunday Night Football, Premier League soccer, Olympics, WWE) which meaningfully broadens the sports footprint for $14.99/month combined.
A quick reference comparison for the most common streaming alternatives. All prices reflect current U.S. rates.
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| Feature | Apple TV+ · $12.99 | Netflix Std · $19.99 | Max (no ads) · $15.99 | Disney+ · $13.99 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly price (ad-free) | $12.99 | $19.99 | ~$15.99 | $13.99 |
| Annual billing option | Yes · $99.99/yr ✓ | No ✗ | Yes (varies) | Yes |
| Ads on content | Never — all 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 ✓ | Extra plan required | 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+ content |
| Content library size | Small — 200–300 titles | Massive ✓ | Large ✓ | Medium |
| Free trial | 7 days | None currently | 7 days | 7 days |
| Device support | All major platforms ✓ | All platforms ✓ | All platforms ✓ | All platforms ✓ |
Whether Apple TV+ earns its place in your streaming budget comes down to three questions: Do you care about quality over quantity? Do you follow any of the three sports it carries? And does the ad-free experience matter enough to you to pay for it specifically?
- You follow Formula 1 racing. Apple TV+ is the only legal U.S. streaming option for live F1 — there’s no alternative.
- You follow MLS soccer. Every match, every playoff game, all season — no separate pass required as of 2026.
- Your household has 3–6 people who watch different things. Six simultaneous streams at $12.99 total makes per-person cost exceptionally low.
- You want entirely ad-free streaming — including during live sports. No other service matches this.
- You already pay for Apple Music and iCloud+. Upgrading to Apple One Individual ($19.95) covers all three for less than paying separately.
- You watch acclaimed drama, documentary, or comedy and care more about show quality than library size. Apple TV+ wins Emmy nominations at a rate that exceeds its subscriber count.
- You mainly want a large library of familiar shows to browse. Netflix’s catalog is 10–15 times larger. Apple TV+ works better for people who know what to watch next, not casual browsers.
- You primarily watch NFL, NBA, NHL, or college sports. Apple TV+ doesn’t carry any of those. You’d need Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, or another service.
- You want CNN, HGTV, ESPN live, or cable-style channel browsing. Apple TV+ is an on-demand original content service — it’s not a cable replacement.
- You don’t like any of the Apple Originals you’ve seen and don’t follow F1, MLS, or MLB. Without the sports value, the library has to carry the subscription on its own, which is a narrow use case.
Yes, completely. Open your smart TV’s app store (Samsung, LG, Sony, Vizio, or Hisense TVs from 2018 onward all have the Apple TV app available), search “Apple TV,” download the free app, and sign in. You’ll need a free Apple ID — create one at appleid.apple.com using any email address. If your TV doesn’t have the Apple TV app, a Roku stick ($29–$39 at Walmart or Target) gives you full access. Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation, Xbox, and Google Chromecast with Google TV all work too. No iPhone, no iPad, no Mac required at any step.
In the United States, yes. Apple TV+ signed an exclusive U.S. deal for Formula 1 coverage that runs through at least 2031. Every race, every qualifying session, every practice, every sprint race — all on Apple TV+ at no extra charge beyond the standard subscription. There is no other legal U.S. streaming platform for live F1. ESPN previously carried F1 in the U.S. and will not be airing future seasons under the new deal. The $12.99/month (or $99.99/year) Apple TV+ subscription is the only way to watch F1 live in the U.S. from 2026 onward.
Apple TV+ includes Family Sharing with up to 6 people in any subscription — monthly ($12.99) or annual ($99.99). The annual plan split among 6 people works out to roughly $1.39 per person per month for completely ad-free 4K streaming with six simultaneous streams. Each family member uses their own Apple ID and has private viewing history. To set up Family Sharing: go to Settings → [your name] → Family Sharing on any Apple device, or visit appleid.apple.com. The family organizer invites others via email. All six can watch simultaneously on different devices — TVs, phones, tablets — without interfering with each other.
Subscribe monthly ($12.99), binge the show over a few weeks, then cancel. Apple TV+ has no contract and no cancellation fee. You retain access through the end of the billing period you’ve already paid for. If a second season drops next year, re-subscribe. This seasonal approach is perfectly designed for Apple TV+, which releases shows in weekly episodes rather than all at once — some viewers subscribe for a season, watch it through, then pause until the next one. Your watchlist and viewing history are preserved when you return if you re-subscribe using the same Apple ID.
Run the math for your situation: Apple Music Individual is $10.99/month. If you add Apple TV+ standalone at $12.99, that’s $23.98/month for both. Apple One Individual at $19.95/month includes both plus Apple Arcade and 50GB iCloud+. That’s a $4/month saving plus two additional services. If you use more than 5GB of iCloud storage (the free tier) and would benefit from 50GB, the value improves further. The one thing Apple One Individual doesn’t give you: Apple Music family sharing — if you need multiple people to have their own Apple Music streams, you need the Family plan ($27.95/month) instead.
Apple TV+ has no cancellation fee and no minimum commitment. Here’s exactly how to cancel depending on where you subscribed.
- No cancellation fee. Month-to-month subscriptions cancel cleanly with no penalty.
- Access continues through the billing period end. Cancel on day 10 of your billing month and you can watch through the full month already paid.
- Annual plan: no refund for unused months. If you cancel an annual subscription partway through, Apple does not refund the remaining months. Plan accordingly before committing to annual.
- To cancel on iPhone or iPad: Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions → Apple TV+ → Cancel Subscription.
- To cancel on Mac: Apple menu → System Settings → [your name] → Media & Purchases → Manage → Cancel next to Apple TV+.
- To cancel on Apple TV device: Settings → Users and Accounts → [your account] → Subscriptions → Apple TV+.
- If you subscribed through Roku, Amazon, or Google Play: Cancel through that platform’s subscription management — not through Apple. Canceling through Apple won’t stop billing from a third-party platform.
- Viewing history and watchlist are preserved after cancellation — they return if you resubscribe with the same Apple ID.
All pricing reflects publicly available U.S. Apple rates as of August 2026: Apple TV+ $12.99/month or $99.99/year; Apple One Individual $19.95/month, Family $27.95/month, Premier $39.95/month. Apple adjusts subscription pricing, bundle availability, promotional offers, and sports rights periodically — verify current prices at apple.com/apple-tv-plus and apple.com/apple-one before subscribing. Free trial eligibility is limited to new subscribers who have not previously paid for the service. New device promotional offers are subject to Apple’s current terms and activation windows. Sports coverage (F1, MLS, MLB) is subject to broadcast agreements and may vary. This content is independent and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Apple Inc.