The standard Paramount+ plan costs $7.99 a month but consumers can opt to upgrade to the ad-free version instead. While going the ad-free route does increase the cost by an additional $5 a month, some households may find the benefits justify paying the higher cost.
For others, sticking with the cheaper, ad-supported plan might be the best option.
Similar to many other streaming services, Paramount+ offers more than one plan for households to choose from. No matter which Paramount+ plan a household signs up to, they do get access to mostly the same library of content.
For example, both plans provide access to more than 40,000 episodes and movies from popular networks including BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network, among others.
However, upgrading to the ad-free plan will unlock some additional content, and some additional features.
| Paramount+ | Essential | with Showtime |
|---|---|---|
| On-demand videos | ✔ | ✔ |
| Live NFL | ✔ | ✔ |
| Champions League | ✔ | ✔ |
| Ad-Free | ✔ (mostly) | |
| Local CBS | ✔ | |
| Downloads | ✔ (mobile only) |
For those looking to upgrade, the Paramount+ with Showtime plan costs $12.99 a month. For reference, Paramount+ does also offer annual subscriptions which can help to save on the price. For example, the annual ad-free ‘with Showtime’ plan costs $129.99 a year, equivalent to around $10.80 a month on average.
$8 to $13/mo
- Originals
- Showtime
- Live Sports
Reasons To Upgrade To Paramount+ with Showtime
For many households, the Essential plan is likely to be more than enough, and especially for those that are looking to save on the cost of streaming each month. However, the ‘with Showtime’ plan does open up some additional features that will be worth it for some homes.
Showtime
The very main reason to consider upgrading to Paramount+ with Showtime is access to the Showtime library. If you are a fan of Showtime originals, then the premium Paramount+ tier is now the only way to access those titles outside of a live TV package that includes Showtime.
Ad-Free Streaming
The removal of ads is another of the key benefits of the ‘with Showtime’ plan, and another of the main reasons why you might consider upgrading.
Even then, consumers should be aware that although Paramount+ with Showtime is an ad-free plan, it is not totally ad-free. Yes, the vast majority of content is available to stream without ads, but it is possible that subscribers will see some ads during some shows.
As Paramount+ also provides access to live TV content, unskippable ads are shown on these channels, even when paying for the ad-free plan.
Local CBS Station
Speaking of live TV, this might be another reason to consider upgrading to the premium plan. Unlike Essential, the Paramount+ with Showtime plan provides access to a subscriber’s local CBS channel. If not currently signed up to a live TV plan, or not receiving access to a local CBS station through an existing live TV package, this can be a great way to watch live CBS at a low monthly price.
Downloads Videos To Watch Later
Another key difference between Essential and ‘with Showtime’ is the ability to download videos to watch at a later time. Even though there are some restrictions on which shows can be downloaded, Paramount+ allows downloading of most shows, including the streaming service’s originals.
That said, downloads are only possible on mobile devices like an iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet, and downloaded videos only remain available for 30 days.
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