Apple TV+ versus BingeBear. What each gives you.
A friend rang last week. His Apple TV+ trial was ending and he was about to start paying €9.99 a month. He wanted to know if it was worth it, or whether BingeBear would do the...
55,000+ live channels
A friend rang last week. His Apple TV+ trial was ending and he was about to start paying €9.99 a month. He wanted to know if it was worth it, or whether BingeBear would do the same job for him.
Fair question. Here’s the honest answer, with the actual bills.
What Apple TV+ is
Apple TV+ is a streaming service. Apple makes a small number of high-budget shows and films and puts them on the service. Ted Lasso. Severance. Slow Horses. The Morning Show. A few films a year.
It is not a live channel. There is no Sky Sports on it. No RTÉ. No Premier League. No GAA. No news. No soaps. No quiz shows.
You watch what Apple has made. That is it. They charge €9.99 a month in Ireland in 2026.
What BingeBear is
BingeBear is a live telly subscription plus a films-and-box-sets library.
Every Sky Sports channel. Every Premier League match. Every Six Nations game. RTÉ One. RTÉ Two. Virgin Media One, Two and Three. TG4. BBC. ITV. Plus 168,000+ films and box sets you can watch on demand.
BingeBear has two one-off options: The Taster is €100 for 10 months, and The Owner is €300 for lifetime access. Neither plan renews automatically. A standard account is set up for one chosen device only. If another device needs BingeBear, Joe can advise on a second account or bundle option.
The price comparison the honest way
Apple TV+
| BingeBear | Monthly |
|---|---|
| €9.99 | no monthly fee |
| Yearly (if paid annually) | €99 |
| €100 / 10 months | Live sport |
| None | Every Irish, UK and most European channels |
| Films | A handful of Apple-made films |
| 168,000+ films and box sets | Irish channels (RTÉ, Virgin, TG4) |
| No | Yes |
| News | No |
| Yes (RTÉ, BBC, Sky, ITV) | GAA |
| No | Yes |
| Soaps (Fair City, EastEnders) | No |
| Yes | Apple TV+ is cheaper on the monthly bill. €10 less, more or less. |
| BingeBear gives you several thousand more channels, all the sport, and a deeper film library. | If you only want Ted Lasso and Severance, get Apple TV+. If you want the telly, get BingeBear. |
When Apple TV+ is the right call
Three cases where Apple TV+ is the better buy:
- You only watch a couple of Apple-made shows and nothing else.
- You already have free-to-air on Saorview and don’t watch sport.
- You bought a new iPhone or Mac in the last three months and got the 3-month free trial.
If any of those is you, keep Apple TV+ and skip BingeBear.
When BingeBear is the right call
Three cases where BingeBear wins:
- You watch any live sport. Apple TV+ has zero live sport.
- You watch RTÉ, Virgin Media or TG4 with any regularity. Apple TV+ has none of them.
- You have grandkids who want cartoons, films, or kids’ channels. Apple TV+ has a small kids section. BingeBear has every kids channel you’d find on Sky.
If any of those is you, BingeBear pays for itself in the first week.
Can you have both?
Yes. Plenty of our customers run BingeBear for everything telly and keep Apple TV+ on the side because the wife or husband is hooked on a particular show.
Together that’s €29.99 a month. Still €100 less than a Sky bill with sports.
What the trial looks like
Apple TV+ gives you a 7-day free trial. Card needed. They take the €9.99 the moment the trial ends, no warning.
BingeBear gives you a 24-hour free trial. No card. We send your login to WhatsApp and you watch. If you don’t message us back, nothing happens. You owe us nothing.
That is the honest comparison.
Try BingeBear free, see if you keep it
If you want to see the difference for yourself, the trial costs nothing and takes five minutes to start. We send the login to WhatsApp. You watch. You decide.
Related reading
- What does IPTV actually cost in Ireland in 2026?
- Netflix, Disney+, Prime, or one BingeBear bill
- Sky next to BingeBear, line for line
- Cheltenham, Aintree, the Curragh. A racing year.
Frequently asked questions
Is Apple TV+ on Sky?
Yes. Apple TV+ has been on Sky Q boxes since 2023, but you pay the €9.99 on top of your Sky bill, not as part of it.
Can you watch live sport on Apple TV+?
No. Apple TV+ has Major League Soccer in the United States as a separate add-on. In Ireland in 2026 there is no live sport on Apple TV+.
Is Apple TV+ worth €9.99 a month?
If you watch Ted Lasso, Severance and one or two films a year, probably yes. If you want anything else, no.
Does BingeBear have the Apple TV+ originals?
No. The Apple shows are Apple-exclusive. If you want Severance you need Apple TV+. We don’t pretend otherwise.
Can I cancel either one?
Apple TV+ cancels in your Apple account settings. BingeBear cancels with one WhatsApp message. Both take less than a minute.
