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Apple’s August 2025 Apple TV price increase created a logical opening for a cheaper, ad-supported plan—but it did not announce one. In the U.S., the monthly price rose from $9.99 to $12.99, while Apple’s current consumer pages continue to market the service as ad-free. Apple TV executives also reportedly said in late 2025 that there were no plans at that time to add advertising.
So the accurate conclusion is narrower than “Apple is preparing an ad tier”: the higher price makes that business strategy easier to imagine, but the evidence still supports possible, not imminent.
What changed with Apple TV’s price?
On August 21, 2025, Apple raised the U.S. monthly price of its streaming service—now generally branded Apple TV, although many older references still say Apple TV+—from $9.99 to $12.99. That is a $3 monthly increase, or roughly 30%. Bloomberg reported that the annual subscription remained $99 at the time, and Apple One pricing was also unchanged.
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1Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute2Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors3Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesThe increase applied to the U.S. and selected international markets, not necessarily every country. Apple’s current U.S. offer lists the service at $12.99 per month after a seven-day free trial. Prices, taxes, annual-plan availability, and bundle terms can differ by region, so subscribers outside the U.S. should check their local Apple account page.
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Apple TV should also be distinguished from the Apple TV app and Apple TV 4K hardware. The subscription covers Apple’s streaming service; the Apple TV app can also contain third-party channels, rentals, purchases, and other subscriptions that are not automatically included.
Why a higher ad-free price could make an ad tier attractive
A higher premium price gives Apple more room to create a lower-priced entry point without reducing the headline price paid by customers who value an ad-free experience. A hypothetical structure could let Apple:
- keep the current $12.99 ad-free plan;
- offer a cheaper plan to price-sensitive viewers;
- reduce cancellations from subscribers who view $12.99 as too expensive; and
- earn advertising revenue in addition to subscription revenue.
This is increasingly common in streaming. As subscriber growth becomes harder to sustain, services are using advertising-supported plans to widen their potential audience and increase revenue per viewer. S&P Global’s industry analysis identified Apple TV and Starz as remaining major U.S. subscription-video services without a more affordable ad tier in its April 2026 analysis.
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That competitive gap makes an Apple ad tier commercially plausible. It does not prove that the price increase was made to prepare for advertising, however. No source in the available evidence establishes that connection.
The financial case for more Apple TV revenue
Apple does not disclose a standalone Apple TV subscriber total. Reuters reported an estimate of approximately 40.4 million subscribers at the end of 2024, based on a Visible Alpha analyst survey. That is an estimate, not an Apple-reported figure.
Reuters also reported that The Information had estimated Apple TV was losing more than $1 billion annually. The same reporting said Apple had spent more than $5 billion per year on content since launch before reducing that spending by about $500 million. These figures are secondary estimates and should not be treated as audited Apple TV financial results.
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There are signs that the service’s audience may be becoming more valuable. In its 2025 services update, Apple said Apple TV reached record viewership in December 2025 and that monthly engagement increased 36% during 2025. Those figures suggest greater usage, but they do not show how many subscribers Apple has, how much revenue the service generates, or whether Apple is preparing to sell video advertising.
Apple’s sports programming could also create more potential advertising inventory than a service focused solely on scripted on-demand shows. Its U.S. page lists Formula 1, MLS, and Friday Night Baseball programming, although availability and rights vary by territory and season. Live sports can support commercial opportunities, but rights agreements and regional restrictions could make the advertising model more complicated.
Evidence that Apple may have considered advertising
9to5Mac reported that Apple had considered an ad-supported plan and pointed to advertising-related hiring, including Lauren Fry’s role overseeing video and Apple News ad sales. Those hires support the idea that Apple is interested in expanding its advertising capabilities.
They are not confirmation of an Apple TV ad product. Apple already operates advertising businesses such as App Store search ads and advertising associated with News. Broader advertising activity does not establish that a video tier has been approved, scheduled, or built.
The strongest public counterpoint is more direct: Ars Technica reported in late 2025 that Apple TV executives said there were no plans at that time to introduce advertising. That is not a permanent guarantee—companies can change strategy—but it weighs against describing an ad tier as imminent.
What Apple says customers are getting now
Apple’s current U.S. consumer pages describe Apple TV Originals as having “no ads” and list the standalone price as $12.99 per month after a seven-day trial. Apple says a subscription can be shared through Family Sharing with up to five additional family members, for up to six people in total, subject to Apple’s terms.
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The service is available on Apple devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, game consoles, and the web. The subscription does not automatically include every title, channel, rental, or purchase available through the Apple TV app. Apple’s U.S. Apple TV page is the best source for the current offer and supported devices.
Accordingly, the current customer reality is straightforward: U.S. subscribers are still being sold a commercial-free Apple TV subscription at $12.99 per month. Apple has not announced an ad-supported Apple TV plan in the sources reviewed.
Why Apple might reject an ad-supported tier
An ad tier would bring potential revenue, but it could also conflict with Apple’s positioning and introduce new costs.
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- Customer experience: Commercial breaks may be especially unpopular in Apple Originals marketed as premium programming.
- Privacy scrutiny: A targeted video-ad business would raise questions about data collection, consent, measurement, and ad personalization.
- Scale: Apple TV may have a smaller audience than the largest streaming services, making ad sales and measurement infrastructure less efficient initially.
- Content economics: Apple would need enough viewing hours and inventory to support sales teams, technology, verification, and agency relationships.
- Cannibalization: Existing $12.99 customers might downgrade instead of Apple gaining entirely new subscribers.
- Family Sharing: The ability to share the current plan across a household may reduce the appeal of switching to a cheaper individual tier.
- Sports complexity: Live sports may offer valuable inventory, but regional rights, blackout rules, and production arrangements can limit how advertising is handled.
These are business considerations, not confirmed explanations from Apple. The reported executive position is simply that there were no plans to add ads at that time.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What a hypothetical Apple ad tier could look like
Any details here are speculation. Apple could choose several approaches rather than simply copying another streaming service.
- Lower price with commercial breaks: A cheaper plan could include ads before, during, or after selected programs.
- Less disruptive advertising: Apple could limit ads to pre-roll or post-roll placements rather than interrupting shows.
- Sports-first advertising: Live sports might carry advertising while scripted Apple Originals remained ad-free, although rights agreements would determine what is possible.
- Limited catalog: New releases, premium films, or certain features could remain exclusive to the ad-free plan.
- Bundle-based savings: Apple could make the service cheaper through Apple One or partnerships without creating a conventional ad-supported standalone plan.
- Temporary free access: Apple has used limited promotional access for selected Peanuts programming. Temporary free programming is not the same as a permanent free, ad-supported tier.
There is no confirmed price for a hypothetical plan. A figure such as $6.99 should not be presented as an Apple forecast or announcement.
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What the price change means for subscribers
Standalone Apple TV subscribers
The current U.S. choice is $12.99 per month for the ad-free service. A subscriber who mainly wants Apple Originals and Apple’s listed sports programming must decide whether that monthly price is worth the available catalog. Waiting for a cheaper ad tier is not currently a reliable savings strategy because Apple has not announced one.
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Apple One subscribers
Apple One may look relatively more attractive after the standalone monthly increase because Apple TV’s price rose while Apple One pricing was reported unchanged at the time. The actual value depends on the plan, country, and whether the household already uses services such as Apple Music or iCloud+. Buying a bundle solely to obtain Apple TV can cost more than subscribing separately if the other services go unused.
Households considering Peacock
Apple and NBCUniversal offer an Apple TV and Peacock bundle. Apple’s U.S. page lists Apple TV plus Peacock Premium at $14.99 per month, with ads on Peacock, and Apple TV plus Peacock Premium Plus at $19.99 per month, with Peacock generally ad-free except for limited exceptions.
Those ads belong to Peacock’s selected plan—not Apple TV. The bundle therefore should not be treated as evidence that Apple TV itself has adopted advertising. It may be useful for households that want Apple Originals plus Peacock’s broader programming and sports, but it is not a cheaper Apple TV ad tier.
The practical verdict
The August 2025 price increase makes an advertising-supported Apple TV plan more commercially logical. Apple could use a lower-priced tier to reach more households, reduce churn, and add advertising revenue while preserving the $12.99 ad-free option.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchBut the price increase is not proof of that strategy. Apple’s current U.S. pages still say the service has no ads, and Apple TV executives reportedly said in late 2025 that they had no plans at that time to introduce them. For customers and investors, the most defensible reading is that Apple has a plausible business opportunity—not a confirmed product launch.
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