Paramount Plus Review

Paramount+, formerly known as CBS All Access, is one of the most popular streaming services that offers movies and TV shows to watch on-demand. Launched in 2014 as CBS All Access, the service was rebranded as Paramount+ in March 2021 — as part of the merger of Viacom and CBS to become Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS).

Paramount+ offers more than 30,000 TV episodes and films, including original titles, along with movies and TV shows from Paramount Global's family of brands, including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and the Smithsonian Channel.

Learn more about Paramount+, including what is on the streaming service, and find out what's different from our previous CBS All Access review.

Paramount+ offers thousands of hours of titles, and it is still one of the most affordable on-demand streaming services. The Paramount+ subscription cost is only $5/mo., which is slightly less than the original CBS All Access price of $6/mo. The Paramount+ price point ranges from $2/mo. to $8/mo. less than Hulu, Netflix, and HBO Max.

For this low price, Paramount+ offers original programming, as well as sports, news, kids' shows, and family entertainment. It is home to the Star Trek universe and is a must-have service for Trekkies who want to see how the franchise continues to unfold.

How much does Paramount+ cost?

Paramount+ offers two plans: Essential and Premium.

The Paramount+ price is a great deal, especially compared to other streamers. The Essential plan is $5/mo. However, subscribers can save 16-percent by prepaying for the entire year. At $50/yr., subscribers would save a total of $10/yr. However, this plan does not come with your local CBS station.

The Premium plan allows viewing without commercials and costs $10/mo. Subscribers can save $20/yr. by prepaying $100/yr. In addition, this plan does include the live local CBS station, but it will have commercials.

The service also has a bundle option by pairing Paramount+ with Showtime. This gives subscribers 28-percent off of their subscription. The Essential plan and Showtime bundle is $12/mo., only $7/mo. more than the standalone Essential plan, or $120/yr. The Premium plan bundle is $15/mo., only $5/mo. more than the standalone plan, or $120/yr.

Moreover, college students can receive 25 percent off their monthly subscription to the Essential plan, giving them a rate of close to $4/mo.

Paramount+ content and add-ons

Paramount+ offers a broad range of content. Among the favorite Paramount+ shows are originals including Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Discovery, The Good Fight, and Evil. New original programming includes Mike Judge's revival of Beavis and Butt-Head and the second season of Blood & Treasure.

And if you're asking yourself, is Yellowstone on Paramount+?, you'll be disappointed to know that it's not. You'll have to stream it on Peacock. However, Yellowstone's spin-off series 1883 is available to watch on Paramount+.

For sports fans, Paramount+ has more than 1,000 live sporting events each year. This includes NFL on CBS, The Masters, NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship, PGA Tour, PGA Championship, SEC on CBS, Corporate Global MMA, and such soccer leagues as UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. Access to some of this programming requires a Premium subscription.

For news followers, subscribers on the Paramount+ Premium plan can access live streams of its local CBS stations in more than 200 marks. Additionally, the service has 60 Minutes+, which offers investigative journalism similar to the original 60 Minutes show.

In addition to news, sports, and original programming, Paramount+ subscribers also have access to the 7,000 hit episodes in Nickelodeon's library. This includes SpongeBob SquarePants, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Paw Patrol. New original programming for kids includes Kamp Koral: SpongeBob's Under Years, Rugrats, Star Trek: Prodigy, and The Fairly Odd Parents.

Paramount+ features

Live Channel Hub 

A new feature for Paramount+ is the Live Channel Hub that is available to all Paramount+ subscribers, whether on the Essential or Premium plan. However, unlike live TV streaming providers, these channels are not the typical broadcast channels. Instead, live programming is grouped by genre.

For example, there are channels for Kids & Family Fun, Preschool Corner, Animation Favorites, TV Classics, Nostalgic Hits, Crime & Justice, and more. 

Top-quality video and audio streaming 

Subscribers on the Paramount+ Premium plan may receive programming in 4K, Dolby Vision, or HDR 10 video formats, making for a more robust viewing experience. Premium subscribers will also get audio using Dolby Atmos, a popular surround sound experience.

Parental controls
With such a broad range of programming from kid shows to adult dramas, Paramount+ gives subscribers the ability to set parental controls, restricting shows based on age or maturity level.

Paramount+ supported devices

Paramount+ can be watched on most mobile devices and streaming sticks, as well as some smart TVs. Among these are:

• Google Chrome, Apple Safari, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox web browsers
• Microsoft Windows 10 and Windows 11
• Apple macOS
• Apple TV
• Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, and Apple iPod Touch
• Android TV (Google TV)
• Android phone and tablet
• Google Chromecast
• Fire TV
• Facebook Portal TV
• Sony PlayStation 4
• Samsung TV
• Vizio TV
• LG TV
• Roku
• Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S
• Xfinity Flex and X1
• Cox Contour box

Is Paramount+ worth it?

This depends on what you're looking for in a streaming service. Although Paramount+ is cheaper than Hulu and Netflix, it is limited to only offering content from Paramount Global brands. If you're a fan of those franchises, such as Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants, The Challenge, or Survivor, then Paramount+ is definitely worth it. And Paramount+ has become more popular with the introduction of its original programming. With the seven-day Paramount+ free trial, you'll have plenty of time to decide.