- Apple TV would rather charge subscriptions than display ads… for now
- Exec says the streaming service will remain ad-free but not “forever”
- Apple TV costs less than most rivals but has tripled in price since launch
Apple has no plans to bring advertising to its streaming service, according to Apple Services senior vice president Eddy Cue. That doesn’t mean ads won’t come eventually, because we know Apple has been exploring the possibility. But it’s not on the horizon any time soon.
Cue was speaking to the UK movie industry magazine Screen International for its November issue, who asked him whether there were plans to launch an ad-based subscription tier for Apple TV (formerly Apple TV+). He said: “Nothing at this time… I don’t want to say no forever, but there are no plans. If we can stay aggressive with our pricing, it’s better for consumers not to get interrupted with ads.”
That’s good news for Apple TV subscribers who’d rather not be sold products in the middle of Pluribus or endure sales messages during Slow Horses. And in fairness to Apple, while it’s a lot more expensive than it used to be it still costs considerably less than many rivals – as the table below demonstrates.
How does the Apple TV price compare to other streamers?
All the major streamers have had multiple significant price increases since 2021/22, including Apple TV, which announced a 30% increase in costs in 2025. It’s currently coming in at a flat $12.99 per month in the US and £9.99 per month in the UK. There’s only one subscription plan, and it’s completely ad-free other than ads for Apple’s own shows and movies.
When you’re comparing Apple with its rivals, there’s more to it than just ads vs no-ads: Apple streams at the highest quality, with surround sound, to everybody. Many rivals don’t, so if you want 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos you need to go for the premium tier rather than the standard one.
In some cases that means rivals cost more for the same quality (although of course that’s not the only consideration: there are big differences between different streamers’ catalogs of shows and movies, which is why we’ve put together a guide to the best streaming services for every kind of viewer and budget).
With Hulu you’ll pay $18.99 in the US for ad-free viewing in 4K via the Premium plan. In the UK Hulu is sold under the Disney+ brand, where ad-free viewing with Dolby Atmos support is currently £14.99 per month.
Netflix has multiple tiers too, and if you want 4K video quality rather than just HD you need Premium. That’s $24.99 per month in the US and £18.99 per month in the UK. Meanwhile, HBO Max is currently $16.99 per month for ad-free; the UK service isn’t expected to launch until 2026.
Of the bigger streaming platforms, two are more affordable than Apple: Prime Video and Paramount+.
Prime Video’s ad-free tier is charged separately to the main subscription, which comes in at $8.99 per month in the US and £5.99 in the UK or included as part of a Prime membership (currently $14.99 / £8.99 monthly) . Removing the ads (and getting Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos) is $2.99 / £2.99 per month on top.
And Paramount+ is $12.99 for the Premium plan in the US and £10.99 in the UK. That gives you 4K with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
In many cases you can cut the cost with bundles, so for example my Apple TV is part of my wider Apple One subscription for iCloud storage and Apple Music. And many streamers offer annual plans with significant savings over monthly subscription prices, although of course that means you can’t pause and resume your subscription from month to month as many cord cutters do.
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