- Paramount Plus now has three tiers in the UK and Ireland
- The new ‘Premium’ plan unlocks 4K, while the ‘Basic’ tier has ads
- There is a introductory offer available for the new ‘Premium’ plan
It’s happening – again. Starting today (Wednesday, November 20), new and existing Paramount Plus subscribers will not only have two new plans to choose from in the UK and Ireland, but the streaming platform is also jacking up its prices once more.
We first heard about the changes in early November, with news breaking that Paramount Plus would become the latest streaming service to offer an ad-supported tier. Following the successful rollout of similar tiers on Netflix and Disney Plus, it’s clear this pricing structure is proving effective in attracting new subscribers.
What does that mean for your subscription? Before today, there was only ever one plan you could sign up to in the UK and Ireland, but that didn’t include premium features, such the ability to stream in 4K (NB: US subscribers are able to access content in this resolution with its more premium “With Showtime” plan).
With the introduction of a new Premium tier, subscribers can now pay to unlock enhanced video quality like 4K, as well as stream up to two more devices at once (you previously were only able to simultaneously stream on two devices only, so this brings the total to four). For a snapshot of all three Paramount Plus plans and what you get for each, see below:
In Ireland, the price of the new ‘Basic’ (with ads) plan is €5.99 per month, the ‘Standard’ (without ads) plan is €8.99 a month, and the ‘Premium’ (without ads) plan is €11.99 every 30 days. Like the UK, it’s cheaper to pay for an annual subscription rather than in monthly payments, too, as it can save you up to 26% on your streaming bills.
At the time of writing, there is a promotion available for the ‘Premium’ plan that reduces the monthly price from £10.99 to just £5.99. Alternatively, you can sign up for an annual subscription to reduce the price from £97.99 to £48.99 instead. Make sure to check for any Paramount Plus coupon codes for more savings.
Of course, Paramount Plus does often feature among Black Friday streaming deals, so it’s worth keeping an eye out for more discounts as we get closer to the big sales day. Not sure whether you need to sign up to yet another streaming service? The Paramount Plus free trial is back and lets you try out 7-days for free with the Basic and Standard plans.
Is Paramount Plus worth it?
Paramount Plus is among the best streaming services for its packed library of classic movies. Indeed, while it has one of the smallest overall catalogues compared to its rivals, it makes up for this with major blockbuster titles, including Mission Impossible and Star Trek., plus more recent fare like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem and Transformers One.
These feature among the best Paramount Plus movies available to stream on the service, but the problem Paramount Plus has is they can often be found on rival services, with the streamer’s parent company licensing them out to make money. It’s worth noting that the UK catalogue isn’t as big as the US due to various licensing agreements that exist on this side of the Atlantic, so you’re not necessarily getting more bang for your buck if you sign up to this service, either.
It’s a similar affair when you look at the service’s TV Originals. Sure, there’s the likes of Yellowjackets, Yellowstone and Halo – all of which are among the best Paramount Plus shows. But, like its movie library, there isn’t nearly as much choice like you’d find on Netflix or Prime Video, and its series tend to lean heavily into reality TV shows, which isn’t to everyone’s liking.
Of course, if those titles have been your watchlist and you’re excited to catch new releases like the new drama series Landman, then the new pricing plans might just give you that extra flexibility to justify another streaming subscription. However, when compared to rivals, Paramount Plus’ UK offering is a lot slimmer than expected.
Whether Paramount Plus is worth subscribing to comes down to your personal preferences as always. When I first heard of Paramount Plus hiking prices again in the US (it raised prices in 2023 and again in August 2024), it was the first sign we had of more cost-saving measures on the way and now that they’re here, subscribers have a tougher decision to make.
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amelia.schwanke@futurenet.com (Amelia Schwanke)
