Paramount+ Review: Strong Lineup Keeps Us Coming Back

Streaming Smarter says: Most people underestimate Paramount+ but it checks all the important boxes: movies, sports, TV favorites, originals, and children’s programming. If you choose the ad-free tier, you can stream your live, local CBS station, which makes this a perfect pair with Sling TV or one of the inexpensive DIRECTV STREAM plans that don’t offer the station. Whenever I’m subscribed, I always find plenty to watch.

$7.99/mo.

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What Does Paramount+ Cost?

There are two tiers of Paramount+. The cost to upgrade to ad-free is reasonable, and it unlocks much more content. That’s the plan I recommend.

Can You Watch Paramount+ for Free?

Yes! Paramount+ always offers a 7-day free trial. Occasionally, the trial jumps to 30 days.

Another great choice is to sign up for a free 30-day trial of Walmart+ and you’ll get Paramount+ for free in addition to free grocery delivery, gas savings, Burger King discounts and more.

$12.95/mo.

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Are There Any Deals or Discounts for Paramount+?

The best current deal for Paramount+ is the annual plan. When you prepay for the year, you save nearly $36. The ad-supported plan is $59.99/year (saves 37%), while the ad-free plan with SHOWTIME is $119.99/year (saves 23%).

If you’re a student, you can get a 25% discount on Paramount+.

Does Paramount+ Have Originals?

Paramount+ is doing a good job building out its identity with its original series from Taylor Sheridan. Beyond the “Yellowstone” spinoffs “1883” and “1923,” you can also see “Landman,” “Tulsa King,” “Lawmen: Bass Reeves,” “Mayor of Kingstown,” and “Lioness.” These popular shows always feature big-name actors as the lead: Harrison Ford, Sylvester Stallone, Zoe Saldaña, Nicole Kidman, Billy Bob Thornton, and Jeremy Renner.

Other originals on Paramount+ include “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Star Trek: Picard,” “Star Trek: Lower Decks,” “Transformers: EarthSpark,” and “Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

What Movies Does Paramount+ Have?

The Paramount library includes some of the greatest movies ever made: “The Godfather,” “Titanic,” “Breakfast at Tiffany’s,” “Forrest Gump,” “Interstellar,” “Rosemary’s Baby,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Collateral,” “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Wolf of Wall Street,” “Chinatown,” “A Quiet Place,” and “Gladiator.” You may also see movies from other studios like “Pulp Fiction,” “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” and “Good Will Hunting.”

Paramount+ is home to popular movie franchises like Transformers, Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Indiana Jones adventures.

If you choose the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME subscription, you get even more movies including, documentaries, independent films, and horror flicks.

What TV Shows Does Paramount+ Have?

Because Paramount owns so many TV channels, you’ll get a giant library with shows you first saw on CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel.

Kick back with favorites like “Ghosts,” “Matlock,” “NCIS,” “Star Trek,” “Frasier,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Daily Show,” “Cheers,” “I Love Lucy,” “Everybody Loves Raymond,” and “Reno 911.”

Paramount+ also has live channels dedicated to its hit shows like “60 Minutes,” “PAW Patrol,” “CSI,” “Survivor,” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

Paramount+ with SHOWTIME also gives you premium cable hits like “Dexter,” “Billions,” “Yellowjackets,” “Ray Donovan,” “Your Honor,” “The L Word,” “The Chi,” and “The Curse.”

Although Paramount+ doesn’t have the “South Park” TV show, it does have several direct-to-streaming “South Park” movies.

Unfortunately, Paramount barely invests in its linear channels anymore. That means the value from those channels is mostly limited to archival content.

What Kids Content Does Paramount+ Have?

The service is great for kids because of the Nickelodeon connection. You’ll get “PAW Patrol,” “Spongebob Squarepants,” “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles,” “Bob the Builder,” “The Fairly OddParents,” “Rugrats,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Dora the Explorer,” “Peppa Pig,” and much more.

What Sports Does Paramount+ Have?

Paramount+ has a strong lineup of sports, including March Madness, college football, NFL games, The Masters, UEFA Champions League, Serie A, Argentina Liga Profesional de Fútbol, EFL, Carabao Cup, Concacaf Nations League, and NWSL.

Can You Download Paramount+ Content?

If you have the ad-free plan, you can download movies and TV shows.

What Devices Work with Paramount+?

Can You Add Paramount+ as a Prime Video Channel?

Yes. If you want to access Paramount+ inside Prime Video, it’s easy to add as a channel.

Is Paramount+ Worth It?

I love Paramount+. It’s not perfect, but there’s a lot to enjoy. It’s one that I circle back to every few months.

My kids really enjoy the Nickelodeon lineup, and I love the mix of classic sitcoms, original shows, and documentaries. The movie library always offers something worth watching.

The international soccer lineup alone makes it a great choice for sports fans.

If you’re the kind of person who has no live TV service, the option for your local CBS station can come in handy for local traffic, weather, and sports.

I do hope Paramount invests in more original programming. The Taylor Sheridan series are a good start, but I want to see more ongoing franchises before committing to an annual subscription.

$7.99/mo.

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Peter Gardner

Peter Gardner cut the cord in 2017. He’s Streaming Smarter’s resident sci-fi fan – his favorite films include “Blade Runner,” “Children of Men,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” and “Gattaca.” His favorite live TV streamer is Sling TV and his favorite on-demand service is Max.