Since the launch of Apple’s own streaming service, Apple has been unveiling new series and films every month. As a result, the Apple TV offering has grown considerably in recent years. Only one question keeps coming up: I have a subscription to TV, why do I still have to pay for movies in the Apple TV app?
You can test tv for free for 7 days and then costs €9.99 per month. If you purchased a new Apple product, you get three months of free access to Apple’s streaming service. However, many people are indignant when it turns out that a lot still has to be paid. How about that? We explain it in detail.
Apple TV App
The Apple TV streaming service can be found in the Apple TV app, an application specially developed by Apple and can be found on various devices and platforms. In addition to their own streaming service, the application also includes other media services such as iTunes Movies.
In some countries, including the United States, you can also link the TV app to your TV provider and the app is packed with additional TV channels from media channels including HBO. In the Netherlands and Belgium the offer is limited, and in addition to iTunes Movies and tv, you can only activate the TV channels Noggin and MLS season pass.
The Apple TV app is therefore best seen as a hub, a kind of gathering place, for multiple platforms within the same application. It is even possible to search for films and series within other streaming services such as Netflix and Disney+ via the TV app.
Pay for movies with Apple TV subscription
But the question still remains, why do I have to pay for a movie if I have a TV subscription? To answer that question, it is good to know what exactly Apple TV, formerly Apple TV Plus, is. tv is Apple’s streaming service with exclusive films and series produced by Apple. The content can only be seen at Apple and is labeled as Apple Originals. So if you subscribe to Apple TV, you get unlimited access to all Apple Original films and series. Nothing more, but also nothing less.
You can recognize the Apple original series and films by the tv logo in the image and the references to Apple TV+ in the viewing options and the description. A complete list of the Apple TV offering, films and series that are included in the subscription can be found here. You can also consult the TV tab in the TV app.
Because the Apple TV app is a hub for multiple services, you will also find other films and series there. Movies in particular are richly offered by iTunes Movies. This is an online video library where you can buy or rent films and is therefore not covered by the Apple TV subscription. The same is also the case for other TV channels, here too you must take out a separate subscription.
In summary
A subscription to tv gives you only access to the Apple Original films and series and can be recognized by the tv logo. The TV app is a hub for multiple streaming and film services, so you also see paid content.
We have to admit that the names are all rather unfortunate: watching Apple TV in the Apple TV app on an Apple TV is not immediately clear. It also seems that Apple TV allows you to upgrade the Apple TV app, but as you now know, that is not the case.