T-Mobile 's ' Apple TV On Us ' is coming to an end, as the company has informed its customers that access to Apple's streaming service will no longer be free starting January 1, 2026.
Starting next year, T-Mobile subscribers with higher-tier plans, such as Experience More, Experience Beyond, Go5G Plus, and Magenta Plus, will be able to access Apple TV at a discount, but will need to pay a $3 monthly fee.
T-Mobile has been offering free access to Apple TV to its customers since 2021, but earlier this year, Apple raised the price of its Apple TV service from $9.99 to $12.99 per month. T-Mobile will now only offer a $9.99 per month discount , requiring customers to pay the difference.
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T-Mobile and other carriers withdraw free offers
Carriers have begun to phase out their free offerings in recent months. Verizon recently ended free access to Apple Arcade and has decoupled its plans from free offerings. Verizon now offers discounts on streaming add-ons, but it doesn’t offer them for free, except to some long-time subscribers who haven’t upgraded to newer plans. Verizon has also eliminated “loyalty discounts.”
T-Mobile recently ended its “Jump on Demand” leasing program and discontinued its partnership with Google that offered unlimited storage on Google Photos.
What’s happening with T-Mobile (and beyond) isn’t just another service change; it’s a sign that the entire carrier ecosystem is redefining its relationship with streaming. For years, carriers have used free subscriptions as the ultimate bait — an easy marketing win and a way to stand out in a market where everyone is essentially selling the same thing.
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But now, the game is changing. And it's changing for three main reasons:
1. Streaming has become expensive – and the costs are not being met.
Platforms are raising their prices because the content itself is becoming more expensive. Providers can no longer absorb these increases without eating into their own margins. At some point, the “free” is no longer viable.
2. The era of “free extras” is fading as companies seek more predictable revenue.
Providers are experimenting with a “cleaner” model: fewer offers, more transparent pricing, and an emphasis on discounts rather than outright freebies. It’s a shift that’s a bit like the global trend in software — first you give away freebies to build a following, then you cut them back to balance the finances.
3. The competition is no longer about “who gives the most for free,” but about who offers the best user experience: Network, reliability, speeds, roaming, security — these are once again becoming the main “weapons.” When a streaming service changes its price whenever it wants, the provider cannot rely on it as a stable incentive for new subscriptions.
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What does this mean for users?
That we are entering a phase where “bonus” subscriptions should not be considered a permanent possession. There will still be deals, but they will be more targeted and more limited — likely with duration, clauses, or a small contribution to the price.
