Stream film and tv from Apple TV Plus for less.
Apple TV+ has a fraction of the TV and films available when compared to Netflix and Amazon Prime, but there are some must see shows there, such as Ted Lasso and The Morning Show, and more and more movies you won’t get elsewhere.
Here’s how you can watch it for free, and if not, how to pay as little as possible for the streaming service.
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Apple TV+ cost
You’ll pay £8.99 a month for Apple TV Plus, with prices increased from £6.99 in late October 2023. This means it’s gone from one of the cheapest (£4.99) to not far off the others in just over 12 months
That’s partly to reflect that with every year there more original TV and movies are added. However there isn’t a huge back catalogue of shows you’ll already know, so once you’ve seen the new content, it’s probably wise to cancel and wait a few months (or more) before signing up again for the next big thing.
New customer offers
One month free trial with Apple One
There’s a one month free trial via Apple One, a bundle that includes
- Apple TV+
- Apple Music
- Apple Arcade
- Apple News+
- Apple Fitness+ (Premier plan only)
- iCloud+ (Premier plan only)
You’ll only get the free trial for services you’ve not already tried.
After the trial you’ll pay £18.95 a month as an individual, £24.95 a month for Family which can be shared with five other family members, and £36.95 for Premium which adds in News+ and Fitness+.
7-day free trial
New users of Apple TV+ can sign up and get a week for free. After this you’ll be charged the full £8.99 each month unless you cancel.
3 months free trial with purchase
If you buy an eligible Apple device you’ll get your first three months free. You’ll need to get one of the following:
- iPhone
- iPad
- iPod touch
- Apple TV
- Mac
You can’t get this offer if you’ve previously had the one-year free Apple TV+ deal that came with a device purchase.
You need to redeem the offer within 90 days of making your purchase. After the 3-month trial you’ll pay £8.99 a month unless you cancel.
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Existing customer offers
2-months free
Until 14 March 2024 you can get 2 months free Apple TV+. You’ll be charged £8.99 per month after the free period, so make sure to cancel if you don’t want to pay.
This is available to both new and previous customers.
Up to 3 months free via Currys
Join the free Currys Perks loyalty scheme and you can pick up “up to” three months free Apple TV+. You’ll get an email with a unique code to add to your Apple TV+ account and once you redeem it your free membership starts immediately.
It’s three months for newbies, but a slightly shorter two months and three weeks for anyone who’s already tried Apple TV+. You can only use a code once per Apple account.
There’s no date for when Currys will end the offer.
Three months free via O2/Virgin Media
Head to the O2 Priority app to get up to three months free Apple TV+. New customers will get three months, while if you’ve had Apple TV+ before you’ll get two months. Offer ends 1 September 2024 (though it’s already been extended a few times). You need to use the code by 1 September 2024.
You can’t have previously used an Apple TV+ voucher via Priority in the past to get this one.
If you’re not on O2 or Virgin Media then you can still get O2 Priority (and other freebies like Greggs treats) for £10 via this hack.
Three months free via Vodafone VeryMe
Vodafone users can also get up to three months free Apple TV+. New customers will get three months, while if you’ve had Apple TV+ before you’ll get two months. You can’t be a current user to activate the deal.
Offer ends 4 September 2024 (though it’s already been extended a few times).
If you’re not on Vodafone then you can still get VeryMe Rewards (and other freebies) via this hack.
6 months free via EE
New and previous Apple TV+ users with an EE phone contract can get six months free. Existing customers can it too, but they’ll need to cancel their current Apple TV+ plan first.
To get it, text TV PLUS to 150 and you’ll get sent a code to activate the offer.
After six months you’ll be charged full price unless you cancel.
6 months free via Sky TV
Sky TV customers can claim 6 months free Apple TV+ as long as they’ve not already had a similar offer via Sky
You can be a new or existing Apple TV+ subscriber. You’ll find the offer in the VIP section of the Sky app.
Don’t forget to cancel before the trial ends to avoid paying full price.
1 month free
This offer is for new and some returning Apple TV+ customers and you’ll get one month free. Ends 4 October 2024.
Free with Apple Music student subscription
Apple TV+ is currently free for students who sign up for Apple Music. This costs £5.99 a month, saving 46% on the normal cost, and that’s before you factor in the free TV.
The free Apple TV+ is for a “limited time” but there’s no information of how long it’ll be.
One year for £69.99 (ended)
*It looks like this offer has now ended – but it’s worth checking your account to see if it’s hidden in there**
If you subscribe upfront for a year you’ll pay just £69.99, effectively 12 months for the price of 10. It’s not easy to find this option, so you have to search in your settings.
Anyone on an iPhone or iPad needs to go to the Settings app, then click your name followed by subscriptions. You’ll see Apple TV+ listed, and when you hit that you’ll see the options available to you.
If you’re using a browser you can log in with your Apple ID and go to Settings in the menu to do the same.
However, I do think you’re better off paying monthly and cancelling when there’s nothing you want to watch, or when you’re using other streaming services. I’m confident this way you’ll pay for way less than 10 months a year.
5 months free via Currys with £4/£5 purchase (expired)
As long as you’ve not already redeemed an Apple TV+ deal via Currys you can grab five months free with any tech purchase between 1 and 28 November 2023.
Unlike last year it seems really cheap items are excluded, but I found a £4.49 “Media mount box“. Or if you want something you might actually use you could buy a smart light bulb for a £7 (though try for click and collect to avoid extra delivery charges). A few cheap items I found:
Within 10 days you’ll be sent an email with the link to claim the free streaming. You’ll need to use your code by 28 December 2023.
It’s open to new and previous Apple TV+ users. If you currently have a pass you’ll need to cancel it first.
After the five months you’ll be charged full price if you don’t cancel.
Five months free via Barclays (expired)
If you have a current account with Barclays then you can get five months free Apple TV+, but only if you don’t currently subscribe to Apple TV. You’ll find the offer in the Barclays app:
- Hit the Products button at the bottom of the app
- Scroll until you see Subscriptions
- Select the Apple TV+ offer
After the trial you’ll pay £8.99 a month unless you cancel. Ends 22 September 2023.
Five months free via Barclaycard (expired)
New and existing Barclaycard customers can get five months free Apple TV+. The offer ends 22 September 2023 (extended from mid-July 2022).
Once you have claimed your code (sent via email), the terms say it must be used by 31 October 2023. You can only use one code per Apple account.
If you currently pay for Apple TV+ you’ll need to cancel your subscription before you can redeem the code.
This is alongside up to five free months for Apple Music, Apple News+ and Apple Arcade (the length of these freebies depends on whether you’re a new or previous user of those services).
It’s not a reason to apply for a new credit card, but if you are going to get one, make sure you clear the balance in full every month to avoid getting charged interest.
Apple TV+ hacks
Split the cost
Apple TV+ can be shared via Apple Family feature, meaning you and five others can get access to the subscription. If you split the cost between you that brings the cost down:
- Two people: £4.50 each
- Three people: £3 each
- Four people: £2.25 each
- Five people: £1.80 each
- Six people: £1.50 each
When you set up Family Sharing, just be aware there are other features you can share such as iCloud storage and the App Store billing – so be careful what you share with people outside your home.
Apple TV+ vs Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime & NOW
It’s a competitive streaming market right now, with some great content on Disney+ and Netflix in particular. However Apple TV+ is the cheapest of all the main streaming services. Here’s how it compares on cost:
| Service | Apple TV+ | Disney+ | Netflix | Amazon Prime Video | NOW |
| Cost | £8.99 a month | £4.99 to £10.99 a month | £4.99 to £15.99 a month | £5.99 to £8.99 a month | £9.99 for Entertainment and £9.99 for Cinema |
Of course, the prices above aren’t what I pay when I get these other services, and there are ways to bring the costs down for each of them. For details on how to do this, check out these individual articles.
