Publish date: 2024-06-23
2021-10-22T19:56:56Z
JUMP TO Section Chevron icon It indicates an expandable section or menu, or sometimes previous / next navigation options.- What are Apple TV channels?
- What Apple TV channels are available right now?
- Is Apple TV Plus available as an Apple TV channel?
- Can you add Disney Plus or HBO Max as an Apple TV channel?
- What TV shows and movies can you watch with Apple TV Channels?
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- Apple TV channels let you watch content from different streaming services inside the Apple TV app.
- Popular Apple TV channels include Paramount Plus, Showtime, Starz, and more.
- Subscription fees for each channel range from $3 to $11 a month.
Within the Apple TV app, you can unlock access to thousands of hours of entertainment by subscribing to different Apple TV channels. Popular streaming services like Paramount Plus and Showtime are available as add-on channels, allowing you to sign up for multiple services with your Apple account and watch them all in the same place.
This makes subscribing to Apple TV channels an especially great option for iPhone and Apple TV owners, since you can use the Apple TV app as a central hub for all your channel subscriptions.
That said, while these add-on services are all labeled as "channels," the primary focus is on-demand entertainment — not live TV streaming.
Below, we rounded up everything you need to know about Apple TV channels including monthly prices, available services, and how channels relate to Apple TV Plus.
What are Apple TV channels?
Apple TV channels are add-on services you can subscribe to and watch directly within the Apple TV app. Available add-ons cost around $3 to $11 a month and include services like Paramount Plus, Showtime, and Starz.
Once you subscribe to an Apple TV channel, you can access that service's library of content directly through the Apple TV app. This makes it easy to watch additional movies and shows without the need to open a separate app.
For those already inside the Apple ecosystem of products, the process of adding and removing streaming subscriptions is straightforward with Apple's centralized billing. Instead of having multiple accounts, everything is handled through your Apple ID, simplifying the payment process.
The Apple TV app is available on iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, as well as devices from most streaming player and smart TV brands.
What Apple TV channels are available right now?
Premium networks like Showtime and Starz are available as Apple TV channels, as well as popular streaming services like Paramount Plus.
Below, we broke down the pricing and free trial lengths for many popular Apple TV channel add-ons:
Apple TV Plus: $5/month after one-week trial, three-month trial with select Apple purchases
Paramount Plus: $10/month after one-week trial
Showtime: $11/month after one-month trial
Starz: $9/month after one-week trial
AMC Plus: $9/month after one-week trial
Epix: $6/month after one-week trial
Acorn TV: $6/month after one-week trial
ALLBLK: $5/month after one-week trial
BBC Select: $5/month after one-week trial
BET Plus: $10/month after one-week trial
BritBox: $7/month after one-week trial
Cinemax: $10/month after one-week trial
Lifetime Movie Club: $4/month after one-week trial
Mubi: $11/month after one-week trial
Noggin: $8/month after one-month trial
OUTtv: $3/month after one-week trial
Pantaya: $6/month after one-week trial
Shudder: $6/month after one-week trial
Sundance Now: $7/month after one-week trial
Tastemade: $3/month after one-week trial
UP Faith & Family: $5/month after one-week trial
Is Apple TV Plus available as an Apple TV channel?
Apple TV Plus is Apple's standalone streaming service, but you access it through the Apple TV app like other add-on channels. There's also a specific menu tab for Apple TV Plus at the top of the app.
Apple TV Plus gives you access to a growing catalog of original series for $5 a month. Receiving multiple Emmy awards, including outstanding comedy, "Ted Lasso" is the breakout hit from Apple TV Plus.
Apple offers free trials of varying lengths for Apple TV Plus. Any new subscriber can claim a free seven-day trial. If you purchase an eligible Apple device, you can get three months of access for free.With a six-month free trial for new and existing subscribers, PlayStation 5 owners are currently offered the best deal for Apple TV Plus.
Can you add Disney Plus or HBO Max as an Apple TV channel?
Services like HBO Max, Hulu, Disney Plus, Peacock, and Prime Video are not available directly as Apple TV channels. Instead, you have to sign up for these services separately and watch them through their own apps.
That said, you can still integrate recommendations from these platforms into the Apple TV app. Billing is not available through Apple so you must already have a separate subscription to one of these services. You'll then see an option to link the services you're subscribed to with the Apple TV app.
This will enable you to see recommendations for movies and shows from that platform inside the Apple TV app. But if you click on a program you'll be redirected to stream it on the required third-party app.
For instance, if you connect your separate HBO Max subscription to the Apple TV app, you'll see recommendations for HBO Max shows within the Apple TV interface. But if you click on the show, your device will be prompted to launch the HBO Max app.
What TV shows and movies can you watch with Apple TV Channels?
Each Apple TV Channel gives you access to a different catalog of movies and TV shows. To help you decide which options are best for you, here is a list with some of the most popular titles available with Apple TV Channels:
Apple TV Plus: "Ted Lasso," "Mythic Quest," "Central Park," "Schmigadoon!," "The Morning Show"
Paramount Plus: "A Quiet Place 2," "Trainspotting," "Star Trek: Discovery," "Reno 911!," "Evil"
Showtime: "Hereditary," "I, Tonya," "Billions," "Shameless," "Dexter"
Starz: "American Gods," "Outlander," "The Girlfriend Experience," "Office Space," "Looper"
AMC Plus: "The Walking Dead," "Mad Men," "A Discovery of Witches," "Minority Report," "Night at the Museum"
Check price at Apple Reece Rogers Streaming Fellow, Insider Reviews Reece Rogers is a Streaming Fellow for the Insider Reviews team. They have written for WIRED, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. After graduating from college, they were a smartphone repair technician for a short stint and performed soldering magic on far too many iPhones. See below for some of their work. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Read more Read lessncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyowcidnKxno6m%2Fpq3MoqWgZ5Glva2xjK2tZpuYlruvscus
