Paramount Plus has spent the past year turning a corner from “another movie-and-TV app” into a sports-and-stories hub with real teeth. If you’re deciding whether to subscribe—or to upgrade—here’s a clear, up-to-date look at plans and pricing, what Premium actually unlocks, the growing live-sports backbone, where you can watch, and how the Skydance merger is changing the playbook for 2026 and beyond.
Plans and Pricing: Essential vs. Premium
In the U.S., Paramount Plus offers two simple tiers. The Essential plan ($7.99/month) gets you the on-demand library with limited ads and access to live CBS news and select live programming. The Premium plan ($12.99/month) folds in Showtime content, removes ads from most on-demand programming (live TV still carries commercials), and—crucially—unlocks the higher-end video and audio formats.
Annual options, typically $59.99 for Essential and $119.99 for Premium, can shave down the monthly cost if you’re ready to commit for a year. If you’re eyeing major sports and prestige originals in the best quality, Premium is the practical choice.
Premium Picture and Sound: 4K, HDR, and Atmos
Not every streaming service ties top-tier image and sound to a higher plan, but Paramount Plus does. 4K UHD, HDR10 and Dolby Vision (when available), plus Dolby Atmos mixes on supported titles are part of the Premium experience. Title pages clearly label whether a movie or show supports those formats.
If you own a recent 4K TV and a soundbar or AVR that handles Atmos, upgrading from Essential to Premium yields the most obvious improvement you’ll see and hear.
Streams, Profiles, and Downloads
Paramount Plus accounts support multiple profiles for households, including kid-friendly modes that limit content by rating. Concurrent stream allowances vary by tier, but Premium provides broader headroom for families juggling simultaneous TVs and mobile devices. Another Premium perk is offline downloads for on-the-go viewing—handy for flights, commutes, and dead zones where live streaming would otherwise stall.
Live CBS and NFL on Paramount Plus
One of the platform’s differentiators is its live CBS integration. On Sundays, that means NFL on CBS games in eligible markets without switching apps, plus pregame studio shows and special broadcasts. Live TV retains ads regardless of plan, but the convenience of flipping from a game to an on-demand series inside the same app remains a major draw for sports-first subscribers.
The Football Core: UEFA, Serie A, and World Rugby
Paramount Plus has planted flags across global football. The CBS Sports partnership extends rights for the UEFA Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League in the U.S. through the 2029–30 season, with the UEFA Women’s Champions League joining from the 2025–26 campaign—expanding year-round marquee fixtures.
In domestic European play, the streamer remains the U.S. home of Italy’s Serie A with wall-to-wall match coverage and studio shoulder programming. And if your love of the “other football” is real, Paramount Plus is the U.S. home of World Rugby through 2029, covering global tournaments and internationals that once required hunting for niche feeds.
UFC Is Coming in 2026
The next big swing arrives in 2026: Paramount (under the new Paramount–Skydance umbrella) has secured a long-term U.S. media-rights deal with UFC. The package brings numbered pay-per-view events and Fight Nights into the Paramount Plus ecosystem, with select cards simulcasting on CBS.
For subscribers, the promise is straightforward—less fragmentation, more premium fight nights under a single login. For Paramount Plus, UFC becomes a centerpiece to anchor weekends between soccer slates and NFL windows.
Showtime Under the Same Roof
In the U.S., Premium now effectively means Paramount Plus with Showtime. That matters for catalog depth and tone: you get gritty dramas, documentaries, stand-up specials, and Showtime originals alongside Paramount’s blockbusters and network series. It’s also simpler—no second app to manage—and the Premium plan is where those 4K/HDR/Atmos benefits live.
If you left Showtime behind during the peak “app sprawl” years, the reintegration makes it painless to revisit the library.
Where You Can Watch: Devices and Regions
Device support is broad: iOS and Android phones and tablets, Apple TV, Fire TV, Google TV/Chromecast, Roku, and recent smart TVs. Game consoles and set-top boxes in many regions are covered, too. Internationally, Paramount Plus operates across the U.S., Canada, UK & Ireland, Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Mexico, and additional markets—with plan names, prices, and 4K availability varying by country.
In some regions you’ll see “Basic” and “Premium” labels rather than Essential/Premium, and the Showtime component may be branded differently; always check your local landing page for the exact tier features and pricing where you live.
September Slate and Library Rhythm
The platform refreshes its on-demand lineup monthly, and September 2025 follows the same cadence: fresh originals, library film drops, and seasonal TV returns. Sports is the constant pulse—matchdays layered through the week—while weekends pivot between football and tentpole premieres. If you’re upgrading for fall, it’s smart to align your billing cycle with the leagues you watch most, then re-evaluate after the championship windows close.
Subscriber Picture and Why It Matters
Paramount Plus entered the back half of 2025 at roughly 75 million subscribers globally. Why does that number matter to you as a viewer? Scale drives rights deals and format support. The bigger the base, the more leverage to keep UEFA, renew Serie A, expand rugby coverage, and invest in day-and-date 4K masters for films and prestige series. It also helps justify app polish—snappier menus, better recommendation rails, and faster rollout of features like profile-level PINs or accessibility upgrades.
Skydance Merger: Strategy, Not Just Synergy
Paramount Global’s merger with Skydance closed in August 2025, giving the streamer and its parent company fresh capital, a re-aligned film pipeline, and an IP strategy that can play across theatrical, broadcast, and streaming without cannibalizing itself.
Expect a tighter focus on theatrical event titles feeding Premium in 4K, smarter use of CBS and cable windows, and a sports schedule that turns churn risks into weekend rituals. Upfront, that looks like steadier release calendars and fewer delays; down the line, it should feel like less time searching, more time watching.
Which Plan Should You Choose?
Choose Essential if you’re a casual viewer who mainly wants back catalogs and is comfortable with ad breaks. It’s the frugal way to sample originals and keep a few shows in rotation.
Choose Premium if any of the following apply: you own a modern 4K setup, you watch live sports each week, you want Showtime in the same app, or multiple people in your household expect to stream at the same time and download content for travel. For many, Premium is the set-and-forget tier that removes friction you’ll notice immediately.
Tips to Get the Most From Paramount Plus
- Audit your devices: Ensure your TV/app combo truly supports 4K, HDR, and Atmos; sometimes the TV’s store version lags behind. Updating firmware can unlock formats you’re paying for.
- Use profiles: Separate watch histories improve recommendations and keep the kids’ queue clean.
- Plan around seasons: The best time to start Premium is just before your favorite league’s kickoff or a new tentpole drops, then reevaluate after the sports calendar tapers.
- Mind live-TV ads: Even on Premium, live channels carry commercials; keep a second screen handy for box scores and highlights during breaks.
- Download before you go: Queue downloads on Wi-Fi; mobile networks may block large files or downgrade quality.
Why Paramount Plus Is Hard to Ignore in 2025
Every streamer is hunting for a “reason to renew.” Paramount Plus now has several. The live CBS integration anchors Sundays. UEFA midweeks and Serie A weekends fill the global-football calendar. World Rugby adds a passionate niche through 2029. And UFC is on the runway for 2026, a move that could convert casual fight-night renters into long-term subscribers.
Wrap that with Premium’s 4K/HDR/Atmos pipeline and the Showtime library, and you’ve got a credible “all-in-one” pitch—especially if you’ve grown tired of juggling five different apps to follow your teams and shows.
The Bottom Line
Paramount Plus in 2025 is a different proposition than it was even a year ago. Clearer pricing, a stronger Premium tier, live CBS baked in, and a sports spine that stretches from Champions League to the Octagon make it easier to justify the monthly cost.
Add the Skydance merger’s emphasis on quality and cadence, and the service feels less like a supplemental add-on and more like a primary tile on your home screen. If you’re ready to compare tiers or check availability in your country, start with the official Paramount Plus plans page and match the features to how—and where—you actually watch.
