T-Mobile is pumping the brakes on one of its signature streaming freebies. The carrier has started informing customers that Apple TV+ On Us will not be totally free and will instead move to a small monthly co-pay. Participants who bill Apple TV+ through T-Mobile without the offer will be converted to the standard rate for Apple TV+.
What Is Changing with T-Mobile’s Apple TV+ On Us Benefit
For Apple TV+ On Us on eligible Plus-level and higher plans, T-Mobile will add a $3-per-month charge to maintain the benefit. The carrier is subsidizing the remainder of the subscription, up to $110 per year (essentially still the old rate), and will make you pay for whatever’s leftover after Apple’s recent shift increases how much you owe.
Customers who don’t have the On Us perk and are paying for Apple TV+ on their T-Mobile bill without taking advantage of the promotion will begin to be billed at the prevailing rate, which is $12.99 per month in the current price list, T-Mobile said. T-Mobile has updated its materials to reflect the change and begun sending informational texts to affected subscribers.
Why T-Mobile Is Introducing a Fee for Apple TV+
This is a textbook pass-through of higher content costs. Apple boosted the price of Apple TV+ following an expansion of its slate of original and live programming, and carriers that bundle the service are left to either absorb this increase or pass it along to customers. Instead of eliminating the perk entirely, T-Mobile is keeping a small co-pay in place to transition customers from the old pricing to the new.
The shift is part of a larger trend across the telecom industry. Free streaming add-ons emerged as a growth lever during the heyday of cord-cutting. With licensing and production costs mounting, “on us” gradually transformed into “discounted with us.” (The total value of these freebie options varies widely by plan: Verizon, for instance, moved from automatic HBO Max inclusions to half-price streaming bundles within its myPlan offerings, and T-Mobile has also reconfigured its Netflix On Us perk on many plans.)
Industry data lends support to the pressure to recalibrate. Analysts at Antenna put the monthly churn rate for streaming services in the U.S. at around 6%, driven by price increases and content rotations. According to Deloitte’s Digital Media Trends study, the average home must now manage around four paid video subscriptions. In that environment, carriers have found the middle ground with modest fees and flexible bundles.
Who Is Affected and How to Prepare for the Change
Most members on T-Mobile’s Plus-tier and above who currently have Apple TV+ On Us will have the new $3 charge begin to appear when they are transitioned. Usually, Apple TV+ is offered per account, not per line, so the co-pay would be a monthly fee and not one that was multiplied across lines. If you signed up for Apple TV+ as a paid add-on via the T-Mobile app, then expect to pay the full $12.99 per month from now on.
- Check the T-Mobile app to confirm your free Apple TV+ status by navigating Account settings under Add-ons and managing through the Apple TV+ tile.
- If T-Mobile is billing your subscription and you do not want the new fee, you will need to cancel with T-Mobile, instead of through your Apple ID.
- Turn off auto-renew if you plan to change billing status, or want to temporarily pause this service.
Certain plans and devices from T-Mobile still come with an advertised Apple TV+ six-month trial. That offer still stands; only make sure to cancel your trial before it rolls into a paid term; assuming you don’t, you’ll end up paying the regular $12.99 rate on renewal.
The Bigger Picture for Wireless Carrier Streaming Perks
Carrier bundles evolve: less all-you-can-stream giveaways and more curated discounts. The upside for consumers is transparency: A $3 co-pay keeps Apple TV+ materially cheaper than retail while ensuring that the entirety of the benefit isn’t lost. The trade-off is another charge on the wireless bill at a moment when households are scrutinizing every subscription.
Anticipate carriers to continue adjusting these packages as streamers adjust prices and promo budgets. For the moment, then, the math is simple: if Apple TV+ will be appointment viewing in your household, T-Mobile’s subsidy still provides a decent discount. If you rotate in services seasonally, create a reminder to cancel your subscription before it renews and then join back up when the shows become available that you want to see.
T-Mobile’s messaging, support documentation, and reporting from industry trackers like The Mobile Report all seem to confirm a common belief: The age of indefinitely free streaming perks is over, replaced by something more measured. “This isn’t the Un-carrier,” said Chaim Lachman, T-Mobile’s head of integrated marketing communications.
