The newest addition to the streaming landscape is actually an old one. The streaming service formerly known as CBS All Access relaunched as Paramount+ on March 4, with an expanded library and a shiny rebrand. This overhaul has led to some questions, both from current CBS All Access customers and from those who weren’t interested in that streamer’s offerings but are curious about the new content, like Paramount+’s upcoming Frasier reboot. Here, we provide answers about the latest platform to (re)enter the streaming wars.
Is Paramount+ different from CBS All Access?
It’s not an entirely new service, no. Think of it more as an evolution or expansion. While CBS All Access mainly focused on the CBS side of ViacomCBS’s media portfolio — its flagship series were Star Trek: Discovery and The Good Wife spinoff The Good Fight — Paramount+ is bringing the rest of the family to the table, adding a ton of new content as well as a back catalogue from MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and, of course, Paramount Pictures.
What all can I watch on Paramount+?
The Paramount+ library is robust, bringing it more in line with competitors like HBO Max and Peacock. ViacomCBS is leaning heavily into the nostalgia factor with planned reboots of Frasier, iCarly, Rugrats, Inside Amy Schumer, and Yo! MTV Raps, as well as a mind-boggling number of new series based on old Paramount movies: Love Story, Fatal Attraction, Flashdance, The Parallax View, The Italian Job, The Godfather, and Grease. (The Grease series was originally set to premiere on HBO Max.) More immediately, franchise iterations like The Real World Homecoming: New York and Kamp Koral will be entering the library. That’s in addition to “tens of thousands†of movies and TV shows from the BET, CBS, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Paramount archives.
Like with CBS All Access, Paramount+ subscribers can also watch a livestream of their local CBS affiliate, as well as live sports and news channels. And while Paramount isn’t going as far as Warner Bros., which plans to release its 2021 films on HBO Max on the same day that they hit theaters, new Paramount releases like A Quiet Place 2 and Mission: Impossible 7 will exclusively stream on Paramount+ between 30 and 45 days after their theatrical runs.
What about Yellowstone?
Ironically, Paramount Network’s biggest hit is streaming over on the Paramount+ rival, Peacock. However, the Yellowstone prequel Y: 1883 is heading to Paramount+. Streaming rights are weird!
Do I have to do anything if I already have CBS All Access?
Nope! CBS All Access subscriptions automatically convert to Paramount+ subscriptions on March 4.
How much does Paramount+ cost?
Just like CBS All Access, there are two Paramount+ tiers. The most expensive is a commercial-free version that costs $9.99/month or $99.99/year. An ad-supported model is also available for $5.99/month or $59.99/year.
Here’s where things get tricky, though. Starting in June, the ad-supported tier will drop to $4.99/month, but it won’t include live TV. However, existing subscribers to the current ad-supported tier with live TV will be able to keep their plan — as long as they don’t cancel it.
Is there a Paramount+ app?
Of course: The Paramount+ app is available on Apple and Android devices; Amazon Fire TV; Chromecast; Roku; PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5; Xbox One and Xbox Series X; and Xfinity. It is also available on LG, Samsung, and Vizio smart TVs.
Wait, where’s Showtime?
For now, both Showtime and ViacomCBS’s free ad-supported streaming service Pluto TV will remain stand-alone services separate from Paramount+. However, if you’re an Apple TV customer who bought the CBS All Access bundle with Showtime, you’ll be able to keep your bundle until you cancel it.