We like to cover the various streaming video services to help people make decisions about cord-cutting or simply adding to their video viewing options. So, it makes sense to look at “new” streaming service, Paramount Plus, now that it has officially launched.
Is Paramount Plus Actually New?
While advertising around the launch of Paramount Plus wasn’t always clear on this topic (at least not to me), the “new” service is really just a replacement for CBS All-Access. With the launch, Paramount has also added some new content that wasn’t previously available on CBS All Access.
What Content is on Paramount Plus?
The service includes content from CBS (NCIS, Bull, etc.) along with other channels like MTV, BET, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, and Paramount Network - plus movies from Paramount Pictures. You also get a fair amount of original content, that was previously only available on CBS All Access, like Star Trek: Discovery and Picard. Depending on the subscription you choose, you may also get access to CBS network live TV content.
How Much Does it Cost?
Paramount Plus costs $6 a month (or $60 annually) for ad-supported content and $10 a month ($100 a year) for ad-free content. If you go the ad-supported route, expect to see about the same ~4 commercial breaks during every hour-long show. In June, a lower ‘base’ subscription tier will be added that does not include any live content from CBS network. That subscription will cost $5 a month and also be ad-supported. Coinciding with that change, the current $6 a month ad-supported subscription will go away.
What if I was already a CBS All Access Subcriber?
Your subscription should simply transition over to Paramount Plus with no further action needed on your part.
What about my Apps?
If you had an app for CBS All-Access on your mobile device, Roku, or other smart TV devices, you may notice that once they update to the latest version, they have changed to Paramount Plus. With luck, this will be seamless. However, users (myself included) have noted some issues.
I started by visiting the website and finding that my old password CBS All Access wasn’t working on www.ParamountPlus.com. I was prompted to change it and set up a new password and then was good to go on the website. However, this didn’t entirely translate over to other apps in all cases.
On your Roku, you may just want to remove the pre-existing CBS All Access app and then search for and install the Paramount Plus app. On my Roku, the CBS app changed to show the Paramount logo, however, I was not able to log in. I tried a few different things, including resetting my password with no luck. However, simply deleting the old app and installing the new one did the trick.
On my iPhone, I took the same approach of removing the old CBS app and then installing the new Paramount Plus app and from there everything worked fine.
