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Right now, you can get half-off an annual subscription to Paramount Plus. The deal works for both Essential and Showtime tiers and lasts until September 6, 2024, just in time for live streaming NFL games on CBS. Check out our guide to getting 50% off Paramount Plus.
Paramount Plus is the best streaming service for fans of CBS programs, Showtime series, and franchises like "Mission: Impossible" and "Survivor." It's also one of the most affordable options, with an ad-supported plan starting at $6 a month.
The service features a growing collection of original series and films, including several "Star Trek" shows, a "Yellowstone" prequel called "1923," and a reboot of "Frasier." Popular sports are also available, including NFL and UEFA Champions League games. You can even livestream CBS and access Showtime, but only with the ad-free tier.
New Paramount Plus subscribers get a one-week free trial, and the service is also included for no extra cost as part of a Walmart+ membership ($13/month).
To help you decide whether a subscription is right for you, we've rounded up everything you need to know about Paramount Plus, including how much it costs, package differences, and available programming. For detailed impressions, check out our Paramount Plus review.
Paramount Plus offers a huge library of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. The Premium Plan also includes Showtime and live CBS streaming. It costs $12 a month or $120 a year
What is Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus is a subscription streaming service from ViacomCBS. It includes select programs from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, MTV, The Smithsonian Channel, and more. You also get 24/7 news programming and next-day access to news programs like "60 Minutes" and "Face the Nation."
New and classic Paramount movies are included as well, and the library features Paramount Plus originals you won't find anywhere else. The premium plan also adds access to everything on the Showtime cable channel and livestreaming support for your local CBS network.
How much is Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus has two plans: an ad-supported Essential plan for $8 a month ($60 a year) and an ad-free plan with Showtime for $13 a month ($120 a year).
All Paramount Plus memberships give subscribers access to the entire Paramount Plus collection of on-demand programs and select live sports, but the Essential plan is subject to commercial interruptions when streaming on demand.
Meanwhile, the premium plan with Showtime gives you ad-free streaming of on-demand content, live access to your local CBS station, and full streaming access to Showtime's entire library of programs. Since it's live, however, CBS streaming still features regular commercial breaks.
You can sign up for the Paramount Plus with Showtime or Paramount Plus Essential plans through the Paramount Plus website. The premium plan is also available as an add-on channel to Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV.
Is Paramount Plus included with Walmart+?
Walmart+ memberships include a Paramount Plus Essential subscription at no extra cost. Walmart+ is a shopping service designed to compete with Amazon Prime. It costs $13 a month or $98 a year.
In addition to Paramount Plus, Walmart+ offers subscribers other perks, such as free shipping and fuel discounts. Check out our Walmart+ guide for a full breakdown of the service.
Does Paramount Plus offer a free trial?
Paramount Plus offers a one-week free trial for new members. You can also get 25% off Paramount Plus if you're a US college or university student. This offer is only available for the monthly ad-supported plan. Students are eligible for the discount for a total of four years.
Does Paramount Plus include Showtime?
Paramount Plus merged with Showtime in June 2023, allowing viewers to access content from both properties through one membership and app.
Showtime is now included by default with Paramount Plus' top tier. However, the cheaper Paramount Plus Essential plan does not include Showtime.
This development comes as other digital platforms have carried out similar mergers, with HBO Max and Discovery Plus bringing content together under their rebranded Max streaming service and Disney launching a "one-app experience" that allows Hulu and Disney Plus subscribers to watch content from both services in the Disney Plus app.
Can you watch live sports on Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus lets you watch live CBS sports. The Essential and Premium plans both include support for streaming local NFL games on CBS, as well as some live soccer content like the UEFA Champions League.
That said, to get access to the platform's entire lineup of live sports — which includes The Masters, NCAA basketball (including March Madness), PGA Tour, SEC football, and MMA — you need the Premium plan.
What devices can I use to watch Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus is compatible with the following devices:
- iOS
- Android
- Chromecast
- Roku
- Apple TV
- Fire TV
- Portal TV
- Samsung smart TVs
- Vizio TVs
- LG TVs
- PlayStation 4
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series S
- Xbox Series X
- Xfinity Flex
- X1
- Cox Contour Box
Can you stream Paramount Plus in 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR?
Select Paramount Plus titles can be streamed in 4K with HDR10, HDR10+, and Dolby Vision support. These formats are only available to Premium plan subscribers ($12/month) and are not supported on the cheaper Essential plan ($6/month).
Shows available in these advanced video formats are marked with "badges" on their title pages, while movies that support these formats mention them in their description boxes.
Paramount Plus supports streaming in 4K, Dolby Vision, and HDR10 on the following devices:
- SelectRoku models
- Amazon Fire TV (Stick 4K, Cube)
- Select Android TV models
- Apple TV 4K
You can also stream select Paramount Plus titles with Dolby Atmos sound on some devices. Check out our guides to HDR and Dolby Atmos for full details on each format's capabilities.
What movies and shows can I watch on Paramount Plus?
Paramount Plus offers access to classic, new, and original programs from the likes of Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, MTV, Paramount Pictures, and CBS. The Premium plan also adds live access to your local CBS network and on-demand access to Showtime.
Currently airing shows on CBS are available on-demand via Paramount Plus the day after they air on TV, so you can catch up on your favorites, including "Survivor," "NCIS," and "Ghosts," without a cable subscription.
The streaming service is home to brand-new movies, including Paramount theatrical releases after they finish playing on the big screen, including recent titles like "Bob Marley: One Love" and "Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning." Older films and shows are also available, including Paramount classics like "Top Gun."
Popular Paramount Plus original shows include "Mayor of Kingstown," "Lawmen: Bass Reeves," "Halo," "Frasier," "iCarly," "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds," "RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars," and "Yellowstone: 1883" and "1923."
Check out our full breakdown of Paramount Plus movies and shows for a bigger overview of what this streaming service offers.
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Steven is a Senior Tech Editor for the Insider Reviews team, where he oversees streaming and home entertainment product coverage. He previously served as High-Def Digest's Gear Editor from 2013 to 2019, and his work has appeared on Ben's Bargains, Steve's Digicams, Big Picture Big Sound, and Consequence of Sound.Over his 11 years of experience covering the audiovisual industry, Steven has reviewed numerous TVs, headphones, speakers, monitors, streaming players, and more. He was one of a select number of journalists invited to get a hands-on first look at LG's first 8K OLED TV in 2019, and is always excited to check out the newest and biggest displays on the market.Based on his extensive experience in the home theater industry, Steven served as one of the expert judges for the 2018 TV Shootout, the premier annual display competition that crowns the best TVs of the year. Steven also has a background in film criticism, having reviewed over 400 movies and TV shows. He uses his movie industry knowledge to help inform his coverage of the streaming and home entertainment markets.Steven's own home theater setup makes his passion for entertainment clear, complete with a 77-inch HDR display and the biggest Dolby Atmos speaker system he can fit in his apartment. And though he often spends his free time binging new series on every streaming service under the sun, he remains proud of his huge collection of Blu-ray discs.Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.Learn more about how we test tech and electronics.
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