Paramount Plus is the latest streaming service to hike its prices. The new prices come into effect early next year.
Skydance Media acquired Paramount in August 2025, in a deal worth $8 Billion. In an earnings call, Skydance had reported that Paramount Plus has 79.1 million subscribers, having gained 1.4 million subscribers in the previous quarter. While this is the first time that the prices have increased since the merger, this is the third time that the streaming service has hiked its prices in 3 years.
As The Verge reports, the ad-supported Paramount Plus Essential plan's price went from $4.99/month to $5.99 in May 2023, while the ad-free Premium with Showtime plan's price jumped from $9.99/month to $11.99 in June 2023. A year later, in August 2024, the ad-supported plan's price was increased to $7.99 per month, and the Premium with Showtime plan's price increased from $11.99 to $12.99/month.
The price of the ad-supported Paramount Plus Essential plan is being increased by $1, i.e. from $7.99 to $8.99 per month. The ad-free Premium plan's price will also go up by a $1, from $12.99 per month to $13.99. These prices will go into effect on January 15th, 2026 for subscribers in the U.S.
Paramount said that "these changes will fuel continued reinvestment in the user experience and deliver an even stronger slate of programming" for its subscribers. It's also worth noting that Paramount is removing free trials, and is "reviewing discount practices". The company also wants to use AI for better personalization and recommendations to improve its free, ad-supported streaming platform, Pluto TV.
Paramount Plus joins the likes of HBO Max, Disney Plus, Hulu, Apple TV, Peacock, and Netflix, all of whom increased the prices of their streaming services in the past year. Even Xbox Game Pass saw a massive price hike for its plans.
Meanwhile, YouTube and Disney are still trying to work on a deal to bring Disney, ESPN, etc. back on YouTube TV. Google is offering a one-time $20 credit to YouTube TV subscribers to compensate for the disruption of live sporting events due to the blackout/failed negotiations.
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