(Credit: Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
If you've been relying on T-Mobile to pay for your Apple TV subscription, that perk comes to an end on Jan. 1, 2026.
The carrier has offered free access to Apple's video-streaming service since 2021. However, after Apple raised the price of Apple TV from $9.99 to $12.99 a month in August, T-Mobile will pass on the difference to its customers.
According to a support page, T-Mobile will continue to cover the previous $9.99 charge for six months, while customers will pay the remaining $3. "Plan for your new monthly cost. Beginning January 1, 2026, you'll pay $3.00 per month after your T-Mobile discount," it says.
The offer is valid for those on the carrier's Experience More, Experience Beyond, Go5G Plus, Go5G Next, Magenta MAX, Magenta Plus, and ONE Plus plans. After six months, the subscription will renew automatically at $12.99 per month.
T-Mobile is notifying customers about the change via texts that mention Apple's price hike. The carrier itself increased prices on its legacy plans by $5 per month earlier this year.
Apple's streaming service, on the other hand, was recently rebranded from Apple TV+ to just Apple TV. Explaining the change, Eddy Cue, Apple's SVP of services, said the company usually adds a "+" only when there's a free basic tier, and that most people were already referring to the platform as "Apple TV." The company has "no plans" to introduce an ad-supported tier. Instead, it's incorporating previously paywalled services into Apple TV for no extra charge, including F1 races and Major League Soccer next year.
6 Ways to Lower Your Apple TV Cost
Apple has really upped its streaming game recently, but if you're not quite ready to pay for $12.99 once T-Mobile's six-month offer runs out, there are ways to save on Apple TV.
- Buy an Annual Subscription. When Apple TV got a price hike earlier this year, the cost of an annual subscription remained the same at $99. So, if you know you're going to stick around for a year, you can save more than $55 by getting an annual membership.
- Bundle with Peacock. Get your fix of NBC (and Bravo) content alongside Apple originals with an Apple TV and Peacock Premium bundle for $14.99 per month or a Peacock Premium Plus bundle for $19.99 per month. The latter makes Peacock almost ad-free.
- Black Friday Deal. Now through Dec. 1, Apple TV is $5.99 per month for six months. It's available to new and returning subscribers, except if you're currently getting Apple TV for free for three months because you bought a new Apple device, or if your subscription is billed through a third party (like T-Mobile).
- Apple Music Student Plan. If you're a verified student enrolled in a degree-granting university, the Apple Music Student plan gives you access to the music-streaming service and Apple TV for $5.99 per month for up to 48 months.
- Apple One. If you already pay for other Apple services, like Apple Music, iCloud+, or Fitness+, an Apple One account lets you bundle them together at a discount. Tiers start at $19.95 per month for Apple Music, Apple TV, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of storage on iCloud+.
- Check Your ISP. Though T-Mobile is ditching Apple TV eventually, your internet service provider might have something for you. If you get internet through Comcast Xfinity, for example, its Xfinity StreamSaver lets you bundle Netflix, Peacock, and Apple TV for $15 per month (increases to $18 on Dec. 22).