How To Watch Acorn TV
To watch Acorn TV: 1. Go to acorn.tv and sign up for the 7-day free trial — after that it is $9.99/month, or $99.99/year (12 months for the price of 10). 2. Download the Acorn TV app on your streaming device, smart TV, or phone. 3. Sign in and stream the full catalog of British and international mysteries and dramas, all ad-free. Note the price if you have seen older articles: Acorn TV recently raised its US rate from $8.99 to $9.99/month, so budget accordingly. Here is everything else worth knowing before you sign up.
Acorn TV Plans & Pricing (2026)
- Monthly: $9.99/month (plus applicable taxes) after a 7-day free trial for new customers.
- Annual: $99.99/year — effectively 12 months for the price of 10. Annual memberships can also be purchased as gifts through Acorn's store.
There is one catalog and no ad-supported tier — every plan is the same ad-free service. If you know you will stick around, the annual plan is the obvious pick; it pays for itself by month ten.
What Is Acorn TV?
Acorn TV is AMC Networks' streaming home for British and international television — the tagline is mysteries “from the criminally cozy to the daringly dark.” The library is built around detective series, village mysteries, and character dramas from the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada, including Acorn TV original commissions you will not find elsewhere in the US. It is the closest competitor to BritBox, though the catalogs overlap far less than people expect — Acorn casts a wider international net, while BritBox goes deeper on the BBC/ITV back catalog.
Supported Devices
Per Acorn TV's official list, you can watch on:
- Streaming devices: Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast
- Mobile: iPhone and iPad, Android phones and tablets
- Smart TVs: current Samsung and other major smart TV platforms
- Web: acorn.tv in any modern browser — handy for a laptop or an HDMI-connected screen
Ways To Sign Up
Direct at acorn.tv (recommended)
- Go to signup.acorn.tv and create an account — the 7-day free trial is for new customers.
- Enter payment details; you are not charged until the trial ends, and you can cancel anytime.
- Install the Acorn TV app on your devices and sign in with the same email and password.
Through Amazon Prime Video Channels
Prime members can add Acorn TV as a channel inside Prime Video — everything streams in the Prime Video app and billing goes through Amazon, which is convenient if you already manage subscriptions there. The catch: no annual plan that way, and Amazon's channel price tracks the monthly rate.
Through app stores
You can also subscribe in-app via the Apple App Store, Google Play, or Roku, with billing handled by that platform. Just remember where you signed up — it determines where you manage or cancel the subscription later.
Watching On Your TV
Install the Acorn TV app from your device's channel store and sign in. Unlike most streamers, Acorn TV does not use enter-a-code activation at all — you sign in with your email directly on the TV. We explain that (and the fake “acorn.tv/activate” sites to avoid) in How To Activate Acorn TV (No Code Needed — Here's Why).
If Acorn TV Is Not Working
Playback errors and login loops are usually solved by restarting the app, reinstalling, or checking for a device software update. The full checklist lives in Acorn TV Not Working? How To Fix It.
FAQ
Is there a free trial?
Yes — 7 days of unlimited access for new customers. You will not be charged until the trial ends.
Does Acorn TV have ads?
No. The entire service is ad-free at every price point.
Acorn TV or BritBox — which should I pick?
Acorn is a couple of dollars cheaper and more international; BritBox is bigger on BBC/ITV classics. We compared them head-to-head in Britbox vs Acorn TV: Which British Streamer Is Better?
How do I cancel?
It depends on where you subscribed — direct, Apple, Google Play, Roku, or Amazon. Every route is covered in How To Cancel Acorn TV.