Paramount+ Subscription Prices Rising in 2026
▼ Summary
– Paramount Plus will increase its US prices in early 2026, raising the Essential plan to $8.99 and the Premium plan to $13.99 per month.
– The company states the price hikes will fund reinvestment in the user experience and programming to strengthen its service offerings.
– Paramount Plus added 1.4 million subscribers recently, reaching a total of 79.1 million, and secured a $7.7 billion deal for live UFC fights.
– Paramount is discontinuing free trials for its streaming service and reviewing discount practices as part of its strategy changes.
– The company plans to update its technology stack for Paramount Plus and Pluto TV and explore using AI for better personalization and recommendations.
Subscribers to Paramount+ should prepare for higher monthly bills starting in early 2026, as the company has officially confirmed a price increase for its streaming plans. The Essential plan with ads will rise from $7.99 to $8.99 per month, while the Premium ad-free tier will increase from $12.99 to $13.99. This adjustment is part of a broader strategy to reinvest in the platform’s content and user experience.
Paramount Global announced the upcoming changes during its recent earnings report, stating the price hikes will help fuel continued reinvestment in the user experience and deliver an even stronger slate of programming. This follows a pattern of regular price adjustments seen across the streaming industry. Paramount+ previously raised its subscription fees in 2023 and again in June of last year, with similar increases recently implemented for customers in Canada and Australia.
The service has shown significant growth under the initial months of Skydance’s ownership, adding 1.4 million new subscribers to reach a total of 79.1 million. In a major content move, Paramount also secured a $7.7 billion deal to bring live UFC fights exclusively to its streaming platform, a significant investment aimed at attracting and retaining viewers.
Beyond the price changes, Paramount is making several other strategic shifts. The company is retiring free trials for new subscribers and is currently reviewing its discount practices. On the technical side, plans are underway to update the underlying technology for both Paramount+ and its free, ad-supported service Pluto TV. These improvements are intended to boost performance, and the company is exploring how artificial intelligence can be leveraged to provide more personalized content recommendations and a better overall user experience.
(Source: The Verge)
