Apple's streaming service already delivers bingeworthy shows at a great price, but there are ways to get it even cheaper
Television connoisseurs know that Apple TV+ has quietly built one of the best catalogs of new shows in the business. Ranging from spine-tingling horrors like Widow's Bay to heartfelt comedies like Shrinking, the Cupertino tech giant boasts a deep roster of prestige television well worth adding yet another subscription.
The streaming wars are a cutthroat battle for eyeballs and dollars. At its onset, the cable-cutting revolution promised the platonic ideal of entertainment: cheap subscriptions, unlimited content spending and, most importantly, no ads. However, many viewers opine that the great viewing migration hasn't fulfilled these implicit promises. With the great spending spree on its last fumes and companies shifting business strategies, fans have seen their streamers hike prices, incorporate ads, and prioritize algorithms over quality. In this entertainment economy, maximizing your streaming service feels like a moral, financial and artistic imperative.
Apple, for its part, continues to go above and beyond to attract viewers to its streaming network. Although the tech giant raised its price last year, viewers can maximize their subscription through discounted bundles, special features, family sharing and a wealth of live events. Apple is trying its best to incentivize you to watch Apple TV+. It's time you took advantage.
Ways to save on Apple TV+
Let's start with your wallet. A subscription to Apple TV+ is $12.99/month. Although three dollars more than its previous subscription price, it remains cheaper than most of its competitors' ad-free offerings, with Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu and Disney+ all charging from $17 to $20 a month.
Apple allows viewers to share their subscription with five family members. Although its Family Sharing system is more complicated than merely texting your deadbeat brother the password every time a new Severance episode drops, it allows you to also share purchases like apps, movies and audiobooks. However, it's important to note that the family's account holder agrees to pay any purchases made on Apple TV+, so you may want to think twice about adding your cousin with the obscure anime addiction.
If you're like me, and your commitment issues extend to your streaming preferences, there are several ways to try Apple TV+ for free. For one thing, the streamer offers a seven-day free trial for those looking to go on a binge. If you plan on buying a an iPhone, MacBook, iPad, Apple Watch or Apple TV 4k, you can redeem up to three months of free Apple TV access with your purchase.
Students, meanwhile, are eligible for the Student Plan, which offers subscriptions to both Apple TV and Apple Music for $5.99. Students are also eligible for a month-long trial, rather than the standard seven days.
Apple fanatics can save on their subscription by going all in on the company's products with Apple One. Ideal for those invested in the Apple ecosystem, Apple One gives you four subscriptions, namely Apple TV+, Apple Music, Apple Arcade and 50GB of iCloud space for $19.95, saving you $12/month. Users can share their Apple One subscription with five family members for $25.95/month. Family plans also have access to 200GB of iCloud+ storage. For $37.95, Premier subscribers add Apple's Fitness+, News+ and 2TB of cloud storage to their Apple One account. Apple allows customers to try Apple One for a 30 days without charge.
Apple TV+ bundles
Apple offers several bundle deals to maximize your streaming dollars. Last year, the tech giant partnered with NBCUniversal to allow Apple TV+ subscribers to add Peacock for just two dollars. Home to The Office and its successor, The Paper, Love Island, live sports and the Shrek franchise, NBCUniversal's platform is a strong addition to your streaming diet. At $14.99, it remains cheaper than many of the competition's standalone packages.
For an additional $5, you can top it off with an ad-free Amazon Prime subscription, a package that gives you three streaming services for the same price as a Netflix account. Whether you donate those savings to charity in the name of the benevolent writer that enabled them is wholly up to you.
If you don't want to shell out for your own subscription, several companies provide free access to Apple TV for its customers. Chase Sapphire Reserve cardholders, for example, receive complimentary access to Apple's streaming and music services. T-Mobile customers, meanwhile, can add Apple TV+ for $3/ month. Some internet providers have even begun to get in on the bundling craze. For instance, Xfinity provides a variety of streaming bundles that group Apple TV+ with HBO, Netflix, Peacock and Hulu.
Streaming live sports with Apple
Apple isn't just the home to heart-stopping series, it's also where you can catch the fastest growing spectator sport in America: Formula 1. Last year, Apple landed a monumental $750 million deal to become the race's exclusive broadcaster for the next half decade. Apple's coverage of the Driver's Championship includes every practice, Sprint session and qualifier, as well as a Grand Prix. The streamer also provides exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, including adding Netflix's hit series, Drive to Survive. If you really get the F1 bug, you can checkout the best advertisement-turned-blockbuster in recent memory by streaming Brad Pitt's exhilarating F1 movie on the platform.
What better time to discuss Apple's coverage of the most popular sport on Earth than during the World Cup? In 2022, Apple struck a landmark deal with Major League Soccer to stream the entirety of its games on the platform. Now, Apple subscribers can watch every MLS match without blackouts, including Leagues Cup and Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, for free. Fascinatingly, MLS season ticket holders are eligible to receive a free subscription to the platform via their club. For more information on how to ensure you see every match, you can visit the MLS website.
Baseball gurus can also catch Major League Baseball's marquee Friday Night Baseball series on the streaming service. Throughout the season, Apple TV broadcasts two double headers every week, showcasing the sport's premier teams unrestricted by the MLB's infamous local broadcast blackouts. If you're reading this at the start of the MLB season, you should be on the lookout for free trials, as the broadcast partners have historically offered month-long deals at the beginning of the MLB season.
Pairing Apple TV with one of the aforementioned bundles is an easy way to expand your sports viewing experience. Through Peacock and Amazon subscriptions, you can add the NFL, international soccer, golf, Olympic sports, NBA, WNBA, NASCAR and cycling to your viewing schedule.