Block YouTube Ads on Apple TV Without Premium Using iSponsorBlockTV

How It Works: iSponsorBlockTV uses YouTube's undocumented Lounge API (the same one your phone uses to cast to TVs) to send remote control commands that auto-mute and skip ads. Your Apple TV connects to YouTube's servers, and your VPS also connects to YouTube's servers with your device's pairing token—no direct connection needed between them.

Works from any VPS location because everything routes through YouTube's cloud infrastructure. No apps to install on Apple TV, no jailbreak, no local network requirement.

Requirements / Tips

VPS with Docker installed (tested on Debian)
Apple TV with native YouTube app
Total Cost: $0/month vs. $13.99/month YouTube Premium
Setup Time: 5 minutes
Made in USA Quality: Open source, community-driven, no corporate tracking
Benjamin Franklin would approve.

Step 1: Create Data Directory

bashmkdir -p /root/isponsorblocktv/data

Step 2: Run Initial Setup

bashdocker run --rm -it \
  -v /root/isponsorblocktv/data:/app/data \
  --net=host \
  ghcr.io/dmunozv04/isponsorblocktv \
  --setup-cli

Step 3: Answer Setup Prompts

System-wide proxy? Type n and press Enter
Add device? Type y and press Enter
Pairing code: Go to Apple TV > YouTube app > Settings > Link with TV code, enter the 6-8 digit code shown
API key? Type n and press Enter
Skip categories: Press Enter to skip all categories, or type sponsor selfpromo interaction intro outro
Whitelist channels? Type n
Minimum segment length? Type n
Report to SponsorBlock? Type y
Mute ads? Type y
Skip ads? Type y
Enable autoplay? Type y

Step 4: Start the Service

bashdocker run -d \
  --name isponsorblocktv \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v /root/isponsorblocktv/data:/app/data \
  -p 8096:8096 \
  ghcr.io/dmunozv04/isponsorblocktv

Step 5: Verify It's Running

bashdocker logs -f isponsorblocktv

Look for “Connected to device” and “lounge id token acquired”. Press Ctrl+C to exit logs.

Testing

Play any YouTube video on your Apple TV. Ads will instantly mute and skip automatically. You'll see log entries like:

textAd has started, muting
Ad has ended, unmuting

View Logs

bashdocker logs isponsorblocktv
docker logs -f isponsorblocktv  # live tail

Check Resource Usage

bashdocker stats isponsorblocktv

Restart Container

bashdocker restart isponsorblocktv

Stop and Remove Container

bashdocker stop isponsorblocktv
docker rm isponsorblocktv

Add More Devices (Another Apple TV, etc.)

bashdocker stop isponsorblocktv

docker run --rm -it \
  -v /root/isponsorblocktv/data:/app/data \
  --net=host \
  ghcr.io/dmunozv04/isponsorblocktv \
  --setup-cli

Answer “y” to add more devices, then restart the service container.

Recreate Container (Config Persists)

bashdocker rm -f isponsorblocktv

docker run -d \
  --name isponsorblocktv \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  -v /root/isponsorblocktv/data:/app/data \
  -p 8096:8096 \
  ghcr.io/dmunozv04/isponsorblocktv

No re-pairing needed as long as /root/isponsorblocktv/data/ exists.

Performance

RAM Usage: ~50MB
CPU Usage: Near-zero (API monitoring only)
Bandwidth: Minimal (no video traffic, just API calls)
Web Interface: None during normal operation (CLI/config file management only)

Perfect for VPS free tiers.

Limitations

Only works with YouTube apps on TVs, game consoles, and casting devices
Does NOT block ads when watching YouTube directly on iPhone/Android apps
Does NOT work in web browsers (use uBlock Origin extension instead)
Requires VPS or home server to stay running 24/7

Troubleshooting

Container exits with “No devices found”:
Run the setup wizard first to create config.json before starting the service container.

Connection refused on port 8096:
No web UI exists during normal operation—only during --setup process.

Ads still playing:
Check logs for “Ad has started, muting” messages. If missing, re-pair device or verify config.json exists.

Config File Location

Manual edits: /root/isponsorblocktv/data/config.json

Restart container after changes: docker restart isponsorblocktv