How much is Apple TV per month?

Apple TV+ is Apple‘s premium subscription video on-demand service featuring exclusive original movies, TV shows, documentaries, and kids entertainment. Launched in November 2019, Apple TV+ represents the tech giant‘s efforts to compete with established players like Netflix and Disney in the streaming wars. But how much does Apple TV+ actually cost subscribers? Let‘s take an in-depth look at Apple TV+ pricing, content offerings, platform availability and more to see if it‘s worth it.

Apple TV+ Monthly and Yearly Pricing Plans

Apple TV+ is priced competitively at just $6.99 per month in the United States after a 7-day free trial upon signing up. This makes it one of the most affordable premium streaming options compared to Netflix ($9.99 for basic), Hulu ($7.99 with ads), and Disney+ ($7.99).

For those wanting to save some extra money, Apple TV+ also offers an annual plan for $69.99 per year, which is a $14 discount compared to paying month-to-month. This yearly subscription auto-renews unless canceled.

Occasional promotions bundle 1 year of Apple TV+ for free when purchasing select new Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and Apple TV set-top boxes. Students can also get Apple TV+ bundled with Apple Music at a discounted monthly rate.

Apple TV+ Free Trials and Promotions

In addition to competitive monthly and annual rates, Apple TV+ also hooks in new subscribers through extensive free trial and bundling options. These include:

• 7-day free trial – Get full access to Apple TV+ for free for one week upon signing up. Cancel anytime.

• 1 year free with Apple device purchase – Buy any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch and get 12 months of Apple TV+ included. Must redeem within 3 months.

• Student offer – University students pay a low monthly rate for Apple Music and get Apple TV+ bundled in for free. Just sign up with your .edu email address.

• Share with Family – Apple TV+ can be shared with up to 5 family members at no extra cost via Family Sharing. Each person gets customized watch history and recommendations.

• Apple One bundles – Subscription bundles like Apple One Premier include Apple TV+ along with Apple Music, iCloud, Apple Arcade, Apple News+ and Apple Fitness+ for one monthly price.

According to Apple, over half of Apple TV+ subscribers are accessing via these extended free trials and promotions. This has helped drive Apple TV+ to an estimated 40 million+ subscribers as of mid-2022, despite having a much smaller content catalog compared to Netflix or Disney+.

Apple TV+ Content Library and Device Availability

What do you actually get for your $6.99 monthly subscription fee? Apple TV+ focuses on premium, exclusive originals rather than an extensive catalog. It has released over 100 high-budget titles so far, including:

• Acclaimed series like Ted Lasso, Severance, For All Mankind, The Morning Show, Foundation

• Star-studded films like CODA, Finch, Greyhound, Palmer

• Docuseries and documentaries like The Supermodels, Prehistoric Planet, Tiny World

• Kids and family content like El Deafo, Snoopy in Space, Helpsters

Apple has committed over $6 billion to build up its library of Apple Originals over several years. While the catalog is still quite limited compared to the thousands of titles on Netflix, the focus is on curating the highest quality shows and movies.

Apple TV+ originals can be streamed on demand on iPhone, iPad, Apple TV 4K/HD, Mac, PC web browsers, select smart TVs, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation and Xbox consoles. Offline downloading for mobile or tablet viewing is also supported.

Despite being an Apple service, Apple TV+ is widely available beyond just Apple devices and platforms – a strategy that has helped Apple scale up subscribers quickly.

How Apple TV+ Stacks Up Against the Competition

According to analyst Neil Macker at Morningstar, Apple TV+ can be considered the "premium brand" among streaming services. It focuses more on originals and caters to those willing to pay for quality over quantity.

In contrast, Netflix follows the "Walmart" strategy of offering an extensive catalog of licensed shows and movies alongside originals to appeal to mass market tastes. Disney+ takes the "theme park" approach with a back catalog of classics plus new exclusives to provide broad family entertainment.

Among the major services, Apple TV+ is most similar to HBO Max, which also centers its marketing around premium original series and films. However, Apple TV+ is priced lower at $6.99 per month versus $9.99 for ad-free HBO Max.

One advantage Netflix and Disney+ have over Apple is a multi-year head start in building up licensed back catalogs and data on viewer preferences. But Apple is leveraging over 1 billion iPhone/iPad users to promote Apple TV+ across its ecosystem and quickly ramp up exclusive productions.

Critical Reception and Awards Potential

Despite having far fewer titles than other major streamers, Apple TV+ originals have received strong critical acclaim and awards recognition.

Ted Lasso is the poster child for Apple TV+ success, winning 7 Primetime Emmy awards in 2021 for its first season, including Best Comedy Series. Season 2 maintained the momentum with Emmy wins for stars Jason Sudeikis and Brett Goldstein.

Other Apple TV+ standouts include:

• CODA – Won Best Picture Oscar in 2022, a first for a streaming original film
• Severance – Won Emmys for music supervision and main title design in 2022
• The Morning Show – Nominated for multiple Emmys and SAG awards for acting
• For All Mankind – Nominated for Emmy for Outstanding Drama Series in 2021
• Black Bird – Tops critics list for best new show of 2022 so far

This critical validation signals that while Apple TV+ is newer and smaller than competitors, its originals can go toe-to-toe in terms of quality – especially as Apple allocates more content investment.

Apple TV+ Adoption and Outlook

Thanks to an aggressive free trial strategy and Apple‘s ecosystem advantages, Apple TV+ has scaled to an estimated 40-50 million subscribers globally as of mid-2022 according to analyst projections.

For context, Disney+ reached 87 million subscribers and HBO Max hit 76.8 million after about 1.5 years since launch. So Apple TV+ is on a solid growth trajectory so far, especially when considering its library has much less legacy content to draw upon compared to Disney or HBO.

Apple does not disclose official subscriber numbers for Apple TV+, so third-party estimates provide the best sense of adoption. According to Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi, Apple TV+ needs at least 100 million subscribers over the next 3-5 years to break even on its large spending for originals.

But Apple can afford to run Apple TV+ at a loss for years while it builds up exclusives, leveraging its massive ecosystem reach to attract users. Production quality seems to be steadily improving as well based on critical reception. So the outlook is broadly positive for Apple TV+ as it continues gaining momentum post-launch.

Final Verdict on Apple TV+ Pricing and Value

For only $6.99 per month, Apple TV+ offers an attractive premium streaming option for those interested in high quality original productions. While the catalog is still ramping up, focus is clearly on delivering elite shows and movies that have already earned prestigious awards recognition.

Extensive free trial options and Apple device bundles make it easy to try out Apple TV+ risk-free. And Family Sharing allows access for up to 5 household members while paying just one monthly fee.

In an increasingly crowded streaming landscape, Apple TV+ has carved out a solid niche as the destination for brand new exclusives. For fans of Apple Originals, or those wanting to supplement offerings from Netflix/Disney+, Apple TV+ is very appealing at just $6.99 monthly.