In March 2021, CBS All Access was rebranded and became Paramount+, a vast and versatile streaming service from ViacomCBS that boasts tens of thousands of episodes of new and classic TV shows, movies, and so much more for a relatively low monthly price (and even lower for those who opt for an annual subscription). All things considered, Paramount+ has continued to grow as a streaming platform and is right up there with its contemporaries like Peacock and Hulu with its all-encompassing approach to reaching the growing number of cord-cutters.
But there may be some people out there who have not yet committed to adding another streaming app to their collection and want to know more about one of the best streaming services. Well, you’ve come to the right place if you fall into that camp and want to know what Paramount+ has to offer, including a ton of new and recent movies streaming and the new Paramount+ with Showtime plan.
How Much Does Paramount+ Cost?
As of May 2024, there are two subscription plans: the cheaper Paramount+ Essential plan and the more expensive Paramount+ with Showtime plan, which has replaced the streamer's Premium option.
Those who choose the Essential plan can expect to pay a low price of $5.99 per month (or $59.99 for an annual subscription) but there are some caveats. With this lower price comes some drawbacks in the form of limited commercial breaks when streaming movies or TV Shows (more on those titles later) and not being able to livestream your local CBS affiliate station.
The Paramount+ plus Showtime plan runs $11.99 per month (or $119.99 for an annual subscription) and includes everything that comes with Paramount+ including no commercial breaks while streaming on-demand movies and TV shows as well as access to a live feed from your local CBS affiliate. As the name suggests, this plan also gives you access to countless Showtime original series, movies, documentaries, and specials that have called the premium cable network home over the years.
Paramount+ Subscribers Have Access To Original Movies And Streaming TV Shows
Even before CBS All Access became Paramount+ in March 2021, the streaming service was home to several high-profile original series like the most recent adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand, various titles set in the Star Trek universe, and more. Well, that list only grew in the weeks and months following the transition, and the platform is home to shows like Mayor of Kingstown (with more Taylor Sheridan originals and upcoming Yellowstone shows on the way), the return of iCarly, and Mike Judge’s Beavis and Butthead revival series, to name only a few. And there is even more on the way, like the Fatal Attraction remake series.
The offering of Paramount+ original movies exclusive to the streaming service includes The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run, Infinite, and Orphan: First Kill, as well as movies that have been simultaneously released in theaters and the platform. These titles include Paw Patrol: The Movie, Queenpins, and Clifford the Big Red Dog. Paramount+ also became the first place you could watch A Quiet Place Part II streaming and a number of other great horror movies on the service.
There Are Hubs For ViacomCBS Brands Like MTV, Nickelodeon And Comedy Central
There is a staggering amount of content on Paramount+ and one of the best ways to make sense of it all is to check out the platform’s various brand-specific hubs. All in all, there are a total of six hubs dedicated to the different ViacomCBS brands including CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and the Smithsonian Channel. Each of these sections feature shows, movies, and other programming released by each respective channel over the years, and is a great way of finding new series and revisiting classics like all those classic Nickelodeon shows and episodes of MTV Unplugged from over the years. However, it should be noted that shows like MTV True Life and the animated classic Celebrity Deathmatch only have the most recent seasons and none of the episodes from the late 1990s.
There Are Plenty Of Movies And TV Shows On Paramount+
Even when you don’t factor in all the Paramount+ exclusives, there are thousands of movies to choose from, so much so that you can lose yourself in a seemingly endless scroll of movies ranging from Jackie Chan classics to all-time favorite westerns and just about anything and everything in between. The list of best movies on Paramount+ is changing all the time, so make sure to take a look every so often to see what all is available, like Top Gun: Maverick streaming.
The only thing that trumps the number of movies available on Paramount+ is the vast library of TV shows that are split up into genres ranging from Drama to daytime, meaning you can watch game shows like The Price is Right and soap operas like The Bold and the Beautiful at all hours. And with the Smithsonian Channel library, some of the best documentaries and docuseries can be found on the platform.
Premium Subscribers Have Access To Local CBS Feeds, Live News And Sports
One of the coolest things about Paramount+, at least when it comes to the Premium plan, is the fact that you can stream your local CBS affiliate whenever you want, meaning you can watch all the primetime shows like Big Brother, Survivor, and Ghosts, as well as all the FBI, NCIS, and CSI series without having to pay for an expensive cable package or deal with setting up a temperamental over-the-air antenna. Now, remember that this perk is only available for subscribers who go with the full-priced option and not the Essential plan.
All Paramount+ subscribers (no matter which plan they choose) can check out the Live TV feeds offered by the streaming service. This includes the 24-hour news network CBSN, CBS Sports, ET Live, and several others.
Watching Live Sports On Paramount+
Sports fans are in a good spot with their Paramount+ subscriptions, as the streaming service boasts a massive amount of content from various sports leagues, around-the-clock sports news, and hours upon hours of highlights and replays. However, it should be noted that there are some key differences between the Essential and Premium subscriptions when it comes to their sports offerings.
The Essential subscription is going to give you access to NFL on CBS highlights, news, and other special coverage and Champions League soccer. The Premium subscription gives you access to both of those plus additional soccer leagues, other sports, and best of all, the ability to watch live NFL games that are shown on your local CBS affiliate. This also includes the Super Bowl whenever it is broadcast on CBS, which will happen for Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 (Super Bowl LVII will be on Fox in 2023).
Paramount+ Supported Devices
What’s the use of the a Paramount+ subscription if you have no way to enjoy it? Luckily, the streaming service is available on a multitude of devices including computers, mobile devices (iOS, Android, Amazon), smart TVs, video game consoles (PS4, the Xbox family of consoles), and devices like Roku. The Paramount+ has a full list of supported devices as well as how to use the app on each of them with handy step-by-step guides.
Check out the full list of supported devices.
Hopefully, all this helps clear the air regarding Paramount+, its packages, bundles, and everything else. If you want to see what all will be coming to the platform, as well as regular CBS, check out CinemaBlend’s 2024 TV schedule for all the latest.
