Paramount Plus review: Is it worth it for sports fans and entertainment lovers?

Paramount Plus pricing: what does it cost?

Paramount Plus has two plans to choose from. Paramount Plus Essential is $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year if you pay upfront. Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME is $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year if you pay upfront.

Both include Paramount Plus’ massive on-demand library, but with the SHOWTIME plan, you not only get the bonus streaming content, but you also get your live local CBS network and mostly ad-free viewing. The Paramount Plus Essential plan does include NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League.

What can you watch on Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus is packed with content, and if you’re a CBS fan, you should be happy with what you’ll find here. Customers will be able to stream on-demand all of Paramount’s networks, which include CBS, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, Smithsonian Channel and Nickelodeon. The lineup includes popular shows like “South Park,” “The Amazing Race” and “SpongeBob SquarePants.” In addition, you’ll find award-winning movies, not to mention family-friendly hits and everything in between.

Paramount Plus also offers some live channels, though the list is limited. On the Essential plan, you’ll have access to some NFL on CBS content and UEFA Champions League; however, if you bump up to the Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME plan, you’ll get your local CBS station, plus NFL on CBS, UEFA Champions League, CBS News, CBS Sports and more. 

Live sports on Paramount Plus

With both of the Paramount Plus plans, you will have access to some live TV content, though the Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME plan gets you more access than the base plan (thanks to that live CBS channel). Both plans include NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League, but if you want to catch major sporting events like the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament and The Masters, you’ll have to upgrade.

Original content on Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus offers a selection of originals, though it’s not as robust as streamers like Hulu or Netflix. Customers will find current hit shows like “Landman” and “Lioness” and previous favorites like “The Good Fight” and “Star Trek: Discovery.” 

Paramount Plus also picked up several shows after they’d been dropped or ended by their previous networks, including “Younger,” “Ink Master” and “Criminal Minds.”

Paramount Plus features

Though Paramount Plus does not offer any sort of DVR, it does have some other features to enjoy. Parents can set up parental controls if they have kids in the house. By using a PIN, you can toggle the parental controls on and off of rating-related content that you don’t want your kids to watch.

Customers can also download titles while offline on mobile devices to enjoy anytime, anywhere, though this is restricted to the Paramount Plus with SHOWTIME plan. You can also set up six profiles in your Paramount Plus plan so everyone in the house can keep track of their own viewing (and you won’t have to worry about accidentally messing up anyone’s saved spot in a TV series!). 

How does Paramount Plus compare?

Price-wise, Paramount Plus is extremely competitive when stacked up against similar streaming services. It’s the only one in the pack that frequently offers a free trial, which gives customers a chance to really test out the programming before committing, giving it a leg up.

One major advantage of Paramount Plus is that it adds currently airing CBS shows the day after they air on primetime, which you won’t get on a streamer like Netflix. It’s full of current and popular shows and movies, as well as Paramount Plus Originals.

How to subscribe to Paramount Plus

Signing up for Paramount Plus is easy and only requires a few steps. 

1. Go to ParamountPlus.com.
2. Click on one of the blue buttons that says Try It Free.
3. Choose the plan you want and click on Continue with Free Trial.
4. Fill in your information, including your payment information.
5. You’ll be granted a seven-day free trial, and after that your card will be charged unless you cancel.

Once your seven-day free trial is over, the first month of your subscription will begin. If you have a monthly subscription, you’ll be charged each month unless you cancel. If you opted for an annual subscription, you’ll be locked into your subscription for the year, even if you cancel. If you do choose to cancel before you subscription ends, you’ll still have access to your service until the amount of time you have paid for runs out, at which time your service will be canceled.

How to cancel a Paramount Plus subscription

Canceling Paramount Plus is as easy as subscribing. If you do decide to cancel, do the following to end your service.

1. Log into your Paramount Plus account online.
2. Click on Account.
3. Scroll down and click on Cancel Subscription.
4. Click to agree to the cancellation.
5. It’ll ask you to provide the reason for cancellation, which you can provide if you choose

FAQ

Can I watch Paramount Plus for free?

Paramount Plus offers a seven-day free trial, which means you can watch for free. Once the seven-day free trial is up, your card will be charged unless you cancel. 

Is there anything good on Paramount Plus?

There is plenty of good content on Paramount Plus, including original shows and movies. It is the home of “Landman,” “Lioness,” “1883” and more.

Is Paramount Plus as good as Netflix?

Paramount Plus and Netflix both have a lot to offer their customers. They come in at similar price points and both have thousands of streaming titles. With Paramount Plus, though, you can get a few live TV streaming channels, which you won’t get with Netflix. However, you don’t get nearly as many originals on Paramount Plus as you do on Netflix.