Though Apple TV has plenty of high-profile shows like Severance, Slow Horses and most recently, Pluribus, the streaming service has almost always had an issue attracting paid subscribers. Back in 2021 (per Variety), it was revealed that over 60% of Apple TV+ subscribers were watching it without paying, either via a free trial or a promotional partnership, with the vast majority saying they would unsubscribe before their promotion ended rather then pay the (at the time) $5 subscription fee.
The free ride ends for T-Mobile subscribers in January
The service's popular "Apple TV on us" promotion won't cover the full cost of the subscription
T-Mobile mobile subscribers on qualifying phone plans have enjoyed free Apple TV subscriptions since 2021, but late last night the wireless carrier began contacting customers with the following text message, letting them know that while the perk still exists, customers will have to pay the difference between the original $10 value and the new price hike starting in January. Here's the full message:
T-Mobile: Apple recently announced a price increase, raising Apple TV subscriptions to $12.99/mo. As a T-Mobile customer, your plan includes a $9.99/mo benefit. There are no changes to your bill now but, effective 1/1/2026, your Apple TV will be $3.00/mo after your T-Mobile discount. To learn more about your benefit or remove your Apple TV subscription, visit T-Life.
This is an interesting development, as T-Mobile has historically covered cost increases of other "on us" streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. This is the first real break with that policy and it makes me wonder if T-Mobile was perhaps unable to negotiate a lower subscription rate with Apple to keep Apple TV free for customers. T-Mobile also may be testing out not covering the price increases for its other "on us" services in the future as well.
Apple's 3-month free trial with hardware purchase is still available
You can also get 7 days with no purchase
Though this is the end of the free ride for T-Mobile subscribers, Apple is still offering its standard 3-month free trial for those who purchase a new Apple TV 4K, iPhone, iPad or Mac. If you've never tried Apple TV before, you can also get a 7-day free trial, no purchase needed. If you have a Roku device, you can also sign up for an extended one-month trial of Apple TV through your Roku account.
Though getting Apple TV for free is getting harder, the streamer also announced a limited-time bundle with Peacock, which allows you to subscribe to both services for $15 a month. You can learn more about that deal here.