At the end of June, Paramount+ will be increasing its prices for both the Essential and Premium tiers.
The price rise is a result of the platform merging with Showtime, which is currently offered as a separate bundle by itself. Showtime includes series such as Yellowjackets, Billions, Dexter and The Chi.
If, however, you’re subscribed to Paramount+ for its originals like the Stark Trek shows, 1883 and School Spirits, then this step up in cost may come as a blow. Fortunately, there is a way to lock in for the lower prices for longer. Here is what you need to know.
Note that this is just for US customers now. Should we hear more about the UK, we will update this article.
How much is Paramount+ increasing by?
Paramount publicly announced the price increases of the monthly subscriptions, and has since confirmed directly to Tech Advisor how much the annual subscriptions will be once the price hikes come into effect. These will be:
- Paramount+ Essential monthly subscription: Increasing from $4.99 per month to $5.99 per month
- Paramount+ Premium monthly subscription: Increasing from $9.99 per month to $11.99 per month
- Paramount+ Essential annual subscription: Increasing from $49.99 per year to $59.99 per year
- Paramount+ Premium annual subscription: Increasing from $99.99 per year to $119.99 per year
Note that Paramount+ Premium will be rebranding to Paramount+ with Showtime, which is the same price as the new Premium tier.
The more expensive tier is ad-free and includes live programming from CBS local stations.
Paramount has not confirmed whether the seven-day free trial will still be available when the rebrand happens – we should know more in June.
Avoid the Paramount+ price hike by buying an annual subscription
The Paramount+ price hike will happen on 27 June 2023 for both new and existing customers.
That means that you can lock in for the cheaper annual plans if you sign up before then. You can save $10 by signing up for the Essential tier, and $20 by signing up for the annual tier.
You won’t need to pay the more expensive prices until your subscription runs out in 2024.
Bundle in Paramount+ with another subscription
You can also save money on Paramount+ by bundling it in with something else. At the time of writing, you can get the Essential tier with a Walmart+ subscription, which costs $12.95 per month.
Walmart+ offers members a variety of perks including discounts on pharmacy products, gas, access to flash sales and free unlimited shipping.
Cancel your subscription
If neither of these options are suitable for you, then you can simply cancel your Paramount+ subscription altogether. Here is what you need to do:
- Open the Paramount+ website in your browser
- Click on your username in the top right-hand corner
- Scroll down and click ‘cancel your subscription’
If you signed up via the Apple Store or Google Play, then this may differ – check out the Paramount+ official guide for cancelling.
You can also find alternative options in our list of the best TV streaming services.
Author: Hannah Cowton, Senior Staff Writer
Hannah Cowton is a Senior Staff Writer at Tech Advisor and Macworld, working across entertainment, consumer technology and lifestyle. Her interests and specialities lie in streaming services, film and television reviews and rumours, gaming, wearables and smart home products. She's also the creator of The London Geek, a geek culture and lifestyle blog.