Paramount Plus is a streaming service from US entertainment giant ViacomCBS. It's designed to compete with the likes of Netflix, Disney Plus, Amazon Prime Video, HBO Max and Peacock.
The service launched on 4th March 2021 in the US, and on 22nd June 2022 in the UK. Its biggest draw? A "mountain" of content including some of the biggest Hollywood movie franchises (The Godfather, Missions Impossible), high-quality CBS TV, 24-hour news and live sports.
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Paramount Plus – or Paramount+, as it's officially titled – also plans to launch 150 international 'originals' by 2025. The current roster includes huge hits such as Halo, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Yellowstone prequel 1883.
In the US, Paramount Plus offers lots of titles in 4K and Dolby Vision HDR (A Quiet Place 1 and 2, the Indiana Jones movies). Last year, Paramount Plus added HDR10+ support.
Details of the Paramount Plus price, release date, originals and free trial are below. Here's everything we know about Paramount Plus...
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What is Paramount Plus?
US-based streaming service CBS All Access was launched by CBS Corp back in 2014. It had had a subscriber base of around 8 million, which wasn't bad, but parent company ViacomCBS wanted a bigger slice of the streaming pie.
So, in 2021, CBS All Access was renamed Paramount Plus and primed for international expansion. The new and improved service provides content from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, The Smithsonian Channel and Paramount Pictures. That's in addition to exclusive on-demand originals and live sports such as NFL football and UEFA Champions League soccer.
Is it enough to topple rivals such as Netflix? Not according to our initial review but Paramount Plus isn't far off the mark. If you want access to nostalgia-tinged TV, huge Paramount movies franchises such as The Godfather and Mission: Impossible, and new originals such as Halo and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Paramount Plus is well worth trying.
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Paramount Plus launch trailer
Paramount Plus release date
Paramount Plus launched in the United States and parts of Latin America on 4th March 2021.
In Canada, CBS All Access was rebranded as Paramount Plus on 4th March 2021 but the "expanded" content didn't land until later in the year, and it still doesn't have as much choice as the US version.
The service launched in Australia in August 2021, and in Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Norway on 25th March 2021 and South Korean on 16th June 2022.
Paramount Plus arrived in the UK and Ireland on 22nd June 2022. The service is available to anyone as a standalone subscription but you can also get Paramount Plus on Sky (it's free to existing Sky Cinema subscribers, including Sky Q customers).
Most recently, Paramount Global has announced the Paramount+ streaming service will launch in Italy in September, followed by Germany, Switzerland, Austria and France in December.
For the rest of Europe, Paramount has partnered with Comcast/Sky for a new service called SkyShowtime. The service will include Paramount+ originals, plus Showtime and Peacock content. SkyShowtime will be available in Albania, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Kosovo, Montenegro, Netherlands, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden.
Paramount says it hopes to have launched in 60 markets by the end of 2022, and plans to bring Paramount Plus to Asia and India in 2023.
How to watch Paramount Plus in the UK
Stuck outside the UK, US, Australia, Latin America and the Nordics? You can access your Paramount Plus account from abroad using a VPN (Virtual Private Network). We typically recommend ExpressVPN since it offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
With a VPN, you can watch Paramount Plus (or even create a new account) as if you were back home the countries listed above. Good to know, right?
Paramount Plus price
Paramount Plus offers two subscription tiers in most countries.
USA: the ad-supported Essential plan costs $4.99 per month ($49.99 a year) and includes access to 30,000 TV shows, 2,500 movies, Paramount Plus Originals and selected live sports, including NFL games.
The Premium tier – $9.99 per month or $99.99 a year – promises "limited" commercials, access to 4K, Dolby Vision and HDR content, and the ability to download and watch 4K videos offline. You also get extra live sports coverage.
Both plans come with a 7-day free trial, so you can try before you buy.
UK: Paramount Plus offers one plan at £6.99 monthly / £69.99 annually. The service is available to anyone as a standalone subscription. You can also get Paramount Plus on Sky where it's free to existing Sky Cinema subscribers, including Sky Q customers. Again, everyone gets a 7-day free trial to use before deciding to sign-up.
Australia: Aussies pay $8.99 monthly or $89.99 annual for Paramount Plus. But only after they've enjoyed a 7-day free trial to test it out.
Canada: Membership costs from $5.99 CAD a month (with ads) after the free 7-day trial.
How can I watch Paramount Plus?
Most users opt for the dedicated Paramount Plus app, which is available through Apple TV, iPhone and iPad, Android TV, Android phone and tablet, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Portal TV, PlayStation 4, Samsung TV, Vizio TV, LG TV, Roku, Xbox One and Series X, and Xfinity Flex.
However, you also get the option to watch through your favourite web browser at ParamountPlus.com.
You can watch on up to three devices simultaneously and create up to six separate profiles for family members. Those with a Premium subscription can download up to 25 shows or movies and watch them offline (in 4K where available) on a mobile device.
Paramount Plus shows
Last year, ViacomCBS confirmed that over 50 original series will premiere on Paramount Plus in the next two years. Since them, its promised to release 150 international originals by 2025, including new docuseries Murder of God's Banker.
The most high-profile upcoming original is likely to be the Frasier revival (expected 2022), starring Kelsey Grammer as the beloved radio psychologist. According to Paramount, the reboot will be "more exactly the same than ever".
We'll also be treated to a TV adaptation of The Italian Job movie at some point, plus a new CIA spy drama created by Taylor Sheridan (Yellowstone), about a young Marine undercover in a terrorist organisation. Lioness wil star Laysla De Oliveira and Zoe Saldaña.
Don't want to wait? The TV adaptation of the Halo Xbox franchise has proven hugely popular, as has The Offer, a 10-part drama series based on producer Al Ruddy’s experiences helming Francis Ford Coppola’s 1972 epic The Godfather.
Paramount Plus is also the home of the Star Trek universe. It's the place to watch season two of Star Trek: Picard, the ever-popular Star Trek: Discovery and highly-rated Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
More sci-fi action is on the way courtesy of Oscar winner Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave), who is set to star in a new version of the The Man Who Fell to Earth. The show will be based on the 1963 American sci-fi novel that was famously made into a 1972 sci-fi flick starring David Bowie.
Fan of the true crime genre? The Real Criminal Minds, a docu-series based on the hit CBS investigative drama Criminal Minds, might arouse your curiosity.
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Paramount Plus movies
Paramount Plus is expected to be the home of huge movies in 2022, including Mission: Impossible 7 and the blockbusting Top Gun: Maverick. Prefer horror? Paramount Plus is the place to stream hit horror sequel A Quiet Place II.
Other upcoming exclusives include a Pet Sematary prequel and a Beavis & Butthead movie (expected 2022). The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run premiered on Paramount Plus last year The cartoon extravaganza was joined by a 13-episode spinoff series called Kamp Koral: SpongeBob’s Under Years.
In total, Paramount Plus promises a library of over 2,500 movies, from recent blockbusters such as The Avengers to classics from the Paramount Picture vault. Plenty to enjoy.
Paramount Plus sport
Paramount Plus offers a healthy portfolio of live sport including NFL football, college football, PGA Tour and PGA Championship golf, The Masters golf, NCAA Division Men’s Basketball, and much more, courtesy of your local CBS affiliate.
Paramount Plus also claims to be "the only place in the US where soccer fans can find exclusive English-language coverage of every UEFA club competition match, every season." That's the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League.
Paramount Plus is also home to a number of sports documentaries, including Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In – the story of the legendary manager of Manchester United – and Stories from the Beautiful Game.
Paramount Plus might not be available where you are right now. But remember, you can access your Paramount Plus account from anywhere when travelling abroad using a VPN. We typically recommend ExpressVPN since it offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee.
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Paramount Plus shows in 4K HDR
Paramount Plus offers some original shows in 4K Dolby Vision HDR, including Stephen King's The Good Fight (season four onwards) and The Twilight Zone (season two onwards). There are also a few shows available in HD with Dolby Vision HDR.
In April 2021, Paramount Plus added support for HDR10+, Samsung's answer to Dolby Vision. Paramount is now streaming originals such as The Stand to certified devices in HDR10+.
As for sound, Paramount supports Dolby Atmos but only on iPhone, iPad or Apple TV devices. Look out for a mention of Dolby Atmos in the description box of your movie or show.
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