Paramount Plus price hike: What you need to know, and the best ways to save before then
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The first Paramount Plus price hike since 2024 is just around the corner, and we've rounded up everything you need to know about the increase, including last-minute ways to save.
The Paramount Plus price hike is scheduled for Thursday, January 15, 2026. The base ad-supported Paramount Plus Essential tier will increase from $8 a month to $9 a month, while the ad-free Paramount Plus Premium tier (which comes with Showtime content and ad-supported CBS live streaming) will bump up from $13 a month to $14 a month. The annual versions of each plan will also increase in price, with Essential going from $60 a year to $90 a year and Premium going from $120 a year to $140 a year. This is the streaming service's first increase since August 2024, when the ad-supported plan increased by $2 a month, and the ad-free plan increased by $1 a month.
| Paramount Plus plan | Current price | Price starting Jan. 15 |
| Paramount Plus Essential (Monthly) | $8/month | $9/month |
| Paramount Plus Premium (Monthly) | $13/month | $14/month |
| Paramount Plus Essential (Annual) | $60/year | $90/year |
| Paramount Plus Premium (Annual) | $120/year | $140/year |
The streaming service is best known for its on-demand collection of Paramount-owned properties, including CBS shows, Paramount Pictures films, and past seasons of several MTV and Comedy Central classics. Paramount Plus also has a massive selection of original programming, including Taylor Sheridan's "Landman," "Mayor of Kingstown," and "Yellowstone" spinoff prequels "1883" and "1923" (although you'll need to head to Peacock to watch "Yellowstone"). The Premium tier also unlocks access to the Showtime catalog, including "Yellowjackets" and "Dexter: Resurrection."
Paramount Plus has also increasingly begun to invest in sports streaming. Subscribers to all tiers can watch NFL on CBS games and Champions League matches, while Premium subscribers can live stream any sport airing directly on CBS. 2026 also marks the start of Paramount's UFC broadcast rights tenure, a massive seven-year deal that will bring all UFC events to Paramount Plus. The streaming service is taking over from ESPN, and unlike its predecessor, it won't charge an additional pay-per-view (PPV) fee for major numbered events. Instead, all Paramount Plus subscribers will have access to UFC coverage. Select events will also air on CBS.
Needless to say, despite the price hike, many people might still want to hang onto Paramount Plus over the next year. If you're hoping to save, one of the best ways to do so is by subscribing to an annual plan before the hike. Annual subscriptions are already a great way to cut costs since they're typically cheaper year-over-year than what you'd pay after 12 months of a monthly subscription. By locking into an annual plan before January 15, you can temporarily avoid the $30 Essential annual plan price hike or $20 Premium annual plan price hike.
You can learn more directly on the Paramount Plus website. Follow our WhatsApp channel and Instagram for more deals and buying guides. For more savvy streaming savings opportunities, check out our guide to the best streaming deals and bundles.