It’s official — streaming price hikes are following us into 2026. Paramount Plus will cost more in the US starting Jan. 15.
Paramount Plus’ Essential and Premium plans will each rise by $1. The ad-supported Essential version will increase to $9, and the ad-free Premium version will rise to $14. The option to prepay for a year of streaming currently costs $60 for Essential and $120 for Premium, but it’ll cost $90 per year for Essential and $140 per year for Premium come January.
Paramount Plus streaming prices Jan. 2026
| Paramount Plus Essential | Paramount Plus Premium | |
| Previous price (monthly) | $8 | $13 |
| New price (monthly) | $9 | $14 |
| Previous price (annual) | $60 | $120 |
| New price (annual) | $90 | $140 |
Both new and existing subscribers will experience a price increase. In a letter to shareholders, the company said the changes — including upcoming price adjustments in Australia and Canada — “will fuel continued reinvestment in the user experience and deliver an even stronger slate of programming for our customers in the year ahead and beyond.”
Paramount Plus’ two plans differ in multiple ways — the Premium plan exclusively lets you download titles and access any Showtime title you want. Both Paramount Plus tiers offer Taylor Sheridan shows, such as Landman and Tulsa King, as well as franchises like South Park and Star Trek, CBS series, Paramount Pictures films and live sports.
Premium includes your local, live CBS station. With Essential, you can watch the NFL on CBS and the UEFA Champions League via separate live feeds.
