- Apple TV would rather charge subscriptions than show ads… for now
- Exec says streaming service will remain ad-free, but not “forever”
- Apple TV costs less than most of its rivals but has tripled in price since its 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 the ads won’t appear eventually, because we know Apple has been exploring the possibility. But it is not on the short-term horizon.
Cue spoke to UK film industry magazine Screen International for its November issue, who asked him if 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 not forever, but there are no plans. If we can stay aggressive with our pricing, it’s better for consumers not to be interrupted with ads.”
That’s good news for Apple TV subscribers who prefer not to sell products in the middle of Pluribus or support sales messages during slow horses. And to be fair to Apple, while it is much more expensive than it used to be, it still costs considerably less than many rivals, as the table below demonstrates.
How does the price of Apple TV compare to other streamers?
All major streamers have had multiple significant price increases since 2021/22, including Apple TV, which announced a 30% increase in costs in 2025. It currently costs $12.99 per month in the US and £9.99 per month in the UK. There is only one subscription plan and it is completely ad-free except ads for Apple shows and movies.
When you compare Apple to its rivals, there’s more to it than just ads versus no ads: Apple streams at the highest quality, with surround sound, for everyone. Many rivals don’t, so if you want 4K HDR and Dolby Atmos you should opt for the premium tier rather than the standard.
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 type of viewer and budget).
With Hulu you’ll pay $18.99 in the US for ad-free viewing in 4K through the Premium plan. In the UK, Hulu is sold under the Disney+ brand, where ad-free viewing with Dolby Atmos support currently costs £14.99 per month.
Netflix also has multiple tiers, and if you want 4K video quality instead of 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 currently costs $16.99 per month ad-free; The UK service is not expected to launch until 2026.
Of the largest streaming platforms, two are more affordable than Apple: Prime Video and Paramount+.
Prime Video’s ad-free tier is charged separately from the main subscription, which costs $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) costs $2.99/£2.99 per month on top.
And Paramount+ costs $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 reduce the cost with bundles, so, for example, my Apple TV is part of my broader 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 month-to-month subscription like many cord-cutters do.
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