Plex Now Requires Paid Subscription for Remote Streaming to TVs
LOS ANGELES, CA - Plex users will now need to pay for a subscription to remotely stream media from their personal servers to television apps, the company announced this week. The change, beginning with the Roku app, marks a shift away from Plex’s previously free remote access functionality and impacts users who rely on the service to watch their personal media libraries on TVs.
For years, Plex allowed users to stream content from a server to various devices, including TVs, without requiring a paid subscription for basic remote access. Now, server owners must have a Plex Pass subscription-priced at $7 per month, $70 annually, or a one-time $250 lifetime fee-to enable remote streaming to TV apps for others. A more limited “Remote Watch Pass” is also available for $2 per month or $20 per year, allowing access to another user’s server even if the server owner doesn’t have Plex Pass. The rollout begins on Roku this week, with support for Fire TV, Apple TV, Android TV, and third-party clients via the remote streaming API to follow in 2026.
The move comes as Plex seeks to bolster it’s revenue streams while maintaining service operations. While the company has also recently deployed a redesigned app for Roku TVs, the subscription requirement for remote access is the most notable change for many users. Plex initially implemented these restrictions on mobile devices before expanding them to TV platforms.
Users seeking alternatives to Plex’s new paywall may consider open-source options like Jellyfin, which offers similar media server functionality without subscription fees.