How To Get Paramount+ UK On Sky TV And NOW For Free

Paramount+, the major American streaming service, is now available in the UK – and SOME Sky customers are able to get it for free, with NOW subscribers only getting a fraction of the free content.

Earlier this year, Sky announced a partnership with Paramount+, which will bring its customers in the UK a free subscription, as a bonus to “Sky Cinema” subscribers.

Since we’ve been getting so many questions from Sky and NOW (formerly NOW TV) customers who want to know whether they can get Paramount+ for free with Sky – we’ve prepared this handy guide.

With Paramount+ now live in the UK – here’s everything Sky and NOW customers need to know at this point.

What Is Paramount+?

Originally known as CBS All Access, the streaming service owned by Paramount Global (previously ViacomCBS), launched in the US in 2014.

In the UK, Paramount+ is available as a stand-alone streaming app/service on all the major streaming devices – Amazon Fire TV, Roku and others, as well as on Sky Q and Sky Glass.

As we reported last month, Paramount+ UK will not support 4K/HDR or Dolby Atmos at launch.

• Also See: Our Full Paramount+ UK Review

Paramount+ normally costs £6.99/month or £69.90/year, with a free 7-day trial available to everyone. Some Sky customers will get it for free, as a “bonus” – see below.

In terms of TV shows and films, Paramount+ offers more than 8,000 hours of content at launch – original TV shows like the new Star Trek incarnations, Halo, The First Lady and more, as well as popular US shows like Yellowstone, Mayor of Kingstown, Yellowjackets and more (see our Paramount+ launch day content highlights here).

Paramount+ will also feature a long list of blockbuster films, including some very recent hits that will be added throughout the year – Top Gun: Maverick, Scream 5, Sonic the Hedgehog 2 and more.

It’s important to note that a Sky subscription is not REQUIRED for Paramount+, as it’s a full standalone streaming service. But Sky Customers will simply get it as a bonus.

• Also see our updated Paramount+ Guide: Everything You Need To Know

Is Paramount+ Free On Sky?

Yes, Sky TV customers who are subscribed to Sky Cinema will indeed get Paramount+ for free – with a few caveats.

You’ll only get the full app, and the full Paramount+ experience, if you have either Sky Q or Sky Glass (the new streaming TV from Sky).

Those customers can find a standalone Paramount+ app on their Sky Q or Sky Glass devices, and will also be able to access Paramount+ on other devices, with their own credentials.

Sky customers with older Sky+ boxes, will NOT be able to get the full app for free, and will not be able to access it on other devices either (unless they subscribe to it independently, of course.)

Instead, Sky+ will have “a range of content” available on their set-top box, similar to Sky’s deal with another American streaming service, Peacock. That content, however, will be limited.

Also, as part of the deal with Sky, Paramount Pictures’ feature films will remain available on Sky Cinema, without the need to switch to the Paramount+ app – therefore those films will be available for Sky+ customers as well (and NOW customers – see below).

Sky Q and Sky Glass customers who are not subscribed to Sky Cinema will still be able to use the standalone Paramount+ app on their devices – but will have to sign up and pay for it separately.

At this point, we don’t yet how long Paramount+ will remain free for Sky customers.

How To Get Paramount+ On Sky Q And Sky Glass

To set up your free Paramount+ subscription, as long as you’re a Sky Cinema subscriber, you need to go through four steps:

1. Access Paramount+ on Sky Q / Sky Glass by saying “Get Paramount+” to Sky remote or by selecting any piece of Paramount+ content. Alternatively, you can scroll down to Apps and select the Paramount+ app.
2. Confirm your subscription to Paramount+ at no extra cost
3. Follow the on-screen instructions and visit the Sky Paramount+ activation page and the Paramount+ website to create your account
4. Sign into Paramount+ and start watching (either on your Sky device or on other devices)

• Update: Some Sky customers are facing errors with Paramount Plus – See here.

For more detailed instructions on specific Sky devices, see Sky’s Paramount+ help page.

• Check Sky And Sky Cinema Deals

Is Paramount+ Free On NOW TV?

Sky’s streaming service, NOW, also has a Sky Cinema membership (that currently costs £9.99/month).

Unfortunately, Sky Cinema members on NOW will not be getting Paramount+ for free. 

They will of course still be able to watch those specific Paramount Pictures’ films that will remain available on Sky Cinema, including new releases that will be added throughout the year.

Furthermore, we were told by Sky that the stand-alone Paramount+ app will be available on NOW’s own streaming devices, if you still own one of those (although they’re no longer being manufactured).

But even on a NOW streaming stick, you will have to subscribe and pay for Paramount+, and won’t be getting it for free.

• Check NOW TV Deals

This article was originally published on June 18, and then updated with new information.