The Paramount Plus streaming service offers plenty of original and classic movies and television with additional add-ons for an excellent viewing experience. The origins of Paramount Plus began with the debut of CBS All-Access on October 28, 2014. This service combined the existing online streaming portal from the CBS website and the mobile app for phones and tablets. CBS All-Access provided access to the past and current library of CBS programming and allowed subscribers to watch live local CBS affiliates. In September 2017, the first program made specifically for the platform premiered: Star Trek: Discovery. By early 2018, CBS All-Access had over two million subscribers (via Tech Crunch).
On November 25, 2019, CBS and Viacom re-merged and allowed CBS All-Access to acquire the entire Nickelodeon library, giving it an important boost in children’s programming. In early 2020, ViacomCBS began a year-long process to roll out more movies and TV shows from Paramount Pictures, Domestic Media Networks (MTV, Comedy Central), and Pluto TV. Finally, on March 4, 2021, CBS All-Access was relaunched as Paramount Plus, a move designed to separate the CBS and Paramount brands and utilize Paramount’s well-respected image (via Variety). Paramount Plus now has a wide variety of offerings of prestige drama, exciting reality TV, and classic films for every kind of movie and television fan.
How Much Paramount Plus Costs
Like many streaming services, Paramount Plus offers different tiers of subscriptions, from the very basic up to more premium levels. The first tier, “Essential,” costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year. Essential gives subscribers access to the full Paramount Plus libraries but also includes commercial interruptions. This tier also does not include the subscriber's local CBS feeds but does offer some NFL and UEFA Champions games via separate feeds.
The second and final tier of Paramount Plus is “Premium” at $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year. This subscription tier removes all ads from everything except live TV streams. Once again, subscribers have access to the entire Paramount Plus library, but with Premium, they also receive the local live CBS TV stations.
Additionally, there is a special offer for subscribers to add Showtime to Paramount Plus as a bundle package. For both tiers, if a subscriber chooses to include Showtime, the first three months cost $5.99 per month and then increase to $11.99 per month afterward. If a subscriber wants to have Showtime’s library, they would do well to purchase the Premium plan as it ends up costing the same as Essential. However, this changes on June 27, 2023, when Showtime officially becomes standard on any Paramount Plus subscription. At that time, Essential will jump to $5.99 per month and Premium will go to $11.99 per month.
What Devices Paramount Plus Can Be Watched On
Paramount Plus is available to watch on most devices. The streaming service can be downloaded off ParamountPlus.com, and it is available on the app store for both iOS and Android, Xfinity devices, Samsung smart TVs and other smart TVs, PlayStation and Xbox gaming devices, Roku, Apple TV Plus, Chromecast, and Fire TV.
Movies On Paramount Plus
Paramount Plus adds new movies monthly to its already considerable library. As a production and distribution company, Paramount Pictures has been responsible for some of the most critically acclaimed and highest-grossing movies of all time. Unlike other streaming services, Paramount Plus’s original movie library is decades old. At a time when streamers like Apple TV Plus and Netflix are just beginning to get into movie production, Paramount Plus is a veteran in the space. Some notable franchises can be found on the streamer including Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Jackass, Paranormal Activity, Cloverfield, Jack Ryan, Road To…, Indiana Jones, and many more.
There are plenty of other standalone movies on Paramount Plus that are culturally significant and widely appreciated. Titanic, Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, and Tombstone are just some of the classic titles available on Paramount Plus. The service is not without newer fare either, and subscribers can currently find Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, Scream VI, Top Gun: Maverick, The Lost City, and Interstellar available.
TV Shows On Paramount Plus
While the streamer has depended on its deep reserves of notable movies to fill its film library, the programming of Paramount Plus's TV shows contains a significant amount of original series made specifically for the streamer. There are comedies, dramas, docuseries, and reality TV available to watch including Mayor of Kingstown, Wolf Pack, Fatal Attraction, Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head, and The Family Stallone. The most notable original programming on Paramount Plus is the Yellowstone franchise, though currently only the two prequels, 1883 and 1923, are available.
Alongside the original programming are plenty of classic television shows to watch on Paramount Plus. NCIS, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, Survivor, Ghosts, I Love Lucy, Young Sheldon, Reno 911!, Jersey Shore, RuPaul’s Drag Race, SpongeBob SquarePants, Under the Dome, Cheers, and 7th Heaven only scratch the surface of what the platform offers. With Showtime available as a bundle — and soon as a function — popular series like Yellowjackets, Shameless, Billions, Dexter, Penny Dreadful, Homeland, Vice, and Twin Peaks: The Return are all available to view at the subscriber's leisure.
Live Sports On Paramount Plus
One of the most appealing aspects of Paramount Plus compared to other streamers is the availability of live sports on its platform. Thanks to CBS Sports, Paramount Plus has streaming access to certain sports events. The Essential plan does not include the local CBS live channels, where nearly all the live sports are located, but those subscribers still have access to NFL games broadcast on CBS as well as the UEFA Champions League.
Premium subscribers gain access to all the sports available in their local broadcasting region. That means Premium subscribers are able to watch live NFL, College Football, NCAA Division 1 Basketball (and March Madness), the Masters, the PGA Tour, UEFA, NWSL, BWSL, CONCACAF, Italian soccer, Argentinian soccer, and Scottish soccer. Paramount Plus subscribers are not able to watch every match or game but can view any that are currently broadcasting on CBS, which is still a substantial amount of live sports. Subscribers do not need to purchase any additional add-ons for live sports, making for a simple way to watch.