Apple TV may no longer have the '+' in its name, but it's continuing to beef up its offering and add even more content to make the service better value for money. That means an Apple TV subscription is more attractive than ever. In addition to more original productions, Apple is set to dramatically expand the range of live sporting events available on the service.
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Apple TV+ launched in late 2019 with a total of 7 original series and just one movie on launch day. In the intervening years, the service has grown significantly and now has a new name: simply 'Apple TV'. Your Apple TV subscription will now offer more value, especially for sports fans. Perhaps most importantly, Apple TV will begin coverage of Formula 1 next year, available to all Apple TV subscribers in the United States at no additional charge.
Subscribers will be able to watch the entire season, including practice, qualifying and Sunday’s races, live and on-demand via the Apple TV app. In addition, all features of the F1TV service will continue to be available by logging into the F1 TV app (or website) using your Apple TV account. This means that all F1 TV features and content will remain accessible. F1 TV Premium is now included with Apple TV, a service that previously cost $129 per year on its own.
For soccer fans, the Apple TV app is also the exclusive home of MLS. Previously, this required a separate $99 MLS Season Pass -on to watch all matches. However, starting in 2026, all MLS broadcasts will be available with just one Apple TV subscription, allowing all subscribers to watch all Major League Soccer regular season and playoff games.
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In total, customers in the US will see their Apple TV subscription include $209 of additional value, thanks to the addition of F1 TV Premium and MLS Season Pass as part of the basic subscription. Premium original TV shows and movies remain at the heart of Apple TV. While the service lacks back catalog content, which has drawn criticism over the size of the library, Apple is constantly premiering new originals. Six years later, there are now over 300 original series and movies available exclusively on Apple TV. The pace of releases appears to be accelerating.
In a recent interview, Apple TV executive Zack Van Amburgsaid the company will have “a new original almost every week in 2026,” ensuring that subscribers will have something new to watch regularly. In 2025, Apple released 46 new originals, a respectable number, but the plan is for that number to be even higher in 2026. Six 2026 premieres have already been announced and scheduled, including the theatrical blockbuster ‘F1: The Movie’ which will be available to stream in December, and the return of Apple’s most popular sitcom, with a new season of Ted Lasso.
Apple raised the price of the Apple TV to $12.99 in August, but it's unlikely to raise the price again for a while. In terms of pricing, Apple TV is actually the cheapest ad-free service among the major US streamers, offering full 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Atmos soundtracks. Apple is also being more aggressive about bundling and other measures to drive adoption. While the Apple TV itself has become more expensive, the price of the Apple One package hasn't increased.
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Additionally, the company partnered with Comcast to launch the Apple TV Peacock, allowing U.S. customers to subscribe to both streaming services for just $14.99 per month. This year, the Apple TV app also launched on Android, helping to bring in users outside of the typical demographics of the Apple ecosystem.
