Apple TV+ with ads may be coming as Apple looks to hire ad sales exec

Apple TV Plus currently costs $6.99/month, but Apple might be working on a cheaper tier that will include ads. A new report claims Apple is looking for an ad sales executive for its TV Plus platform. The position would cover Apple’s growing digital content offerings. In addition to Apple TV Plus, Apple will also offer customers access to live sports, including Major League Soccer and MLB Friday Night Baseball.

According to Business Insider, Apple is searching for an executive to lead the company’s TV ad sales team. The company is reportedly looking at candidates similar to Paramount Global’s chief digital advertising officer and Netflix ad sales.

It’s unclear when or even if Apple will launch an Apple TV Plus with ads plan. But offering customers a cheaper subscription with ads would make sense in the current streaming landscape.

The most important Apple TV Plus rivals out there have already started offering similar plans to buyers. Netflix and Disney Plus are both available with ads now, in a bid from the two companies to gain and keep subscribers in markets where growth would otherwise stall.

The ad tier from Netflix matches Apple’s regular Apple TV Plus subscription price at $6.99/month. Disney Plus with ads costs $7.99/month. But Netflix and Disney Plus have much larger catalogs than Apple TV Plus. They also feature more original content than Apple, a late entrant in the streaming business.

Still, Apple would want to compete better in the streaming business, as services are a significant source of revenue for the company. And Apple TV Plus is part of various service bundles that iPhone and iPad owners can purchase. Competitive prices and an extensive catalog of titles are key aspects when choosing a new streaming service or keeping an existing one.

Apple will not confirm such rumors, and we’ll only learn about the Apple TV Plus with ads plan if and when Apple is ready to launch it. But Business Insider notes that Apple will have a large presence at the Cannes film festival this year, which is a hotspot for ad execs.

As for Apple’s growing Apple TV Plus content catalog, we already explained why 2023 is set to be an excellent year for the streaming service. Here’s what you can watch on Apple TV Plus in 2023.