Paramount+ is getting ready to shake up the streaming game in the UK, with an upcoming rollout of new subscription tiers that promise to change how viewers consume their favourite shows and movies on the service.
With the phased introduction of Premium and Ad-Supported options, Paramount+ is expanding its service and adjusting its pricing strategy, mirroring global trends that we’ve recently seen from Disney+ and Prime Video.
Starting with the launch of the Premium tier in international markets like Australia and Canada, Paramount+ is now gearing up to bring this enhanced viewing experience to the UK.
Slated for a rollout later this year, after making its debut in France later this month, the Premium tier is expected to land in the UK with a potential price tag of around £10 to £12 per month.
The Premium tier will finally bring something that Paramount+ fans in the UK have been missing since the service’s launch – 4K content, as well as Dolby Vision HDR (albeit at a higher cost).
- November Update: The new Paramount+ UK tiers have been announced.
Meanwhile, the Ad-Supported tier, launching later this year in Canada and Australia at $6.99 CAD/AUD per month, hints at a more wallet-friendly option for UK viewers.
Here’s everything you need to know about Paramount+’s announcement.
Paramount+ in the UK: From Launch to Present
Since its launch in the UK, Paramount+ has established itself as a key player in the local streaming market, offering a diverse range of content from blockbuster films to original programming and iconic series.
The platform hosts content from notable production studios and brands including CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and SHOWTIME.
The number of titles in Paramount Plus’ library can’t really be compared to that of the Big Three (Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+), and many popular shows available on Paramount+ in the US are still missing from the UK version.
However, the service has nonetheless carved a niche for itself, especially with its inclusion of all Star Trek series, Yellowstone and its spinoff shows, and blockbuster films like Top Gun: Maverick, the Scream franchise, Dungeons & Dragons and many others.
With a current subscription price of £6.99/month or £69.90 annually, Paramount+ has maintained a consistent pricing model. Unlike most of the other streaming services, the price hasn’t gone up at all since the service’s UK launch back in 2021.
Premium and Ad-Supported Tiers Are Coming
Paramount+ announced the new Premium and ad-supported tiers in October 2023, with the Premium tier launching first in Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.
This week, Paramount+ announced that the two tiers are coming to more regions.
The Premium tier offers video quality enhancements like 4K UHD, HDR10, and Dolby Vision, along with the capability for four concurrent streams (instead of two).
This tier is designed for viewers seeking a higher-quality viewing experience and more flexibility in how they watch.
In Canada, the Premium plan currently costs $13.99 CAD per month or $124.99 CAD annually. In Australia, the same tier costs $13.99 AUD monthly and $124.99 AUD annually.
Paramount+ will launch the Premium tier in France later in March, marking the beginning of its expansion across Europe.
In France, the Premium tier will be available for €10.99/month or €97.99 annually.
Following the launch in France, the Premium tier is expected to be introduced in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, and Italy later this year.
Given these international pricing strategies, the Premium tier in the UK could potentially cost around £10 to £12 per month, with an annual subscription option possibly ranging between £110 and £130.
The Ad-Supported tier, which offers a more affordable option for viewers willing to watch adverts, is set to launch in Canada in April at $6.99 CAD/month (instead of $9.99 CAD/month for the standard tier) and in Australia in June at $6.99 AUD/month (the standard tier is $9.99 AUD / Month).
In the UK, the current standard tier of Paramount+ is priced at £6.99 per month. The price reduction for the Ad-Supported tier in Canada and Australia is approximately 30% less than their respective standard tier prices.
Applying a similar percentage reduction to the UK’s standard tier price suggests that the Ad-Supported tier could be priced at around £4.99 per month.
Of course, Paramount+ could always take the less-favourable Disney+ route – and increase the cost of the standard tier, while launching the new ad-supported tier with the old price (£6.99) of the original tier – but that has not been the case in Canada and Australia.
Ad-Supported Streaming Tiers Taking Over
The UK streaming market is witnessing a significant transformation as major platforms like Amazon’s Prime Video, Disney+, and Netflix recalibrate their subscription models.
Paramount+’s announcement of launching Premium and Ad-Supported tiers (internationally, and later in the UK) is part of this broader trend, aiming to offer more flexibility and choice to viewers – but it is often also a roundabout way of increasing prices.
Amazon’s Prime Video introduced adverts into its UK service last month, marking a departure from its previously uninterrupted viewing experience.
To avoid adverts, subscribers now need to pay an extra £2.99/month.
Additionally, Prime Video made a controversial move by removing Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support for viewers on the ad-supported tier, further differentiating between its subscription options
In contrast, Paramount+ doesn’t currently offer 4K and Dolby Vision in the UK at all, so the Premium tier will at least make those options available to interested customers.
Disney+ UK revamped its subscription model late last year to include three tiers: Standard With Ads, Standard, and Premium.
The introduction of an ad-supported tier at £4.99/month offers a more affordable option – but with Full HD video quality and adverts.
The Standard tier maintains the ad-free experience with Full HD video, while the Premium tier, priced at £10.99/month, provides up to 4K UHD & HDR video quality, four concurrent streams, and Dolby Atmos audio.
Netflix was one of the first streaming services to introduce an ad-supported tier, and it seems to be going well for the company – as last year, it axed its Basic tier which did no include adverts.
The Broader Implications for UK Viewers
So, what does all this mean for you as a viewer?
First off, the good news is that you’re getting more choices. If you don’t mind paying a bit more for top-notch quality like 4K and the ability to watch on more screens at once, the Premium tier might be right up your alley.
On the other hand, if you’d rather save some cash and don’t mind a few adverts, the Ad-Supported tier could be a great fit.
However, there’s a catch. Introducing these new tiers is also a clever way for streaming services to adjust their prices.
Basically, by offering these new options, they can gently nudge people towards spending a bit more each month.
For example, if you’ve been enjoying your shows without adverts and in high quality, you might find yourself pushed towards the pricier Premium option to keep it that way (as Disney+ and Prime Video did, for example).
Eventually, it’s all about finding the right balance for your budget and your binge-watching preferences.
We have reached out to Paramount+ for more details about the upcoming UK launch – and will update this article accordingly.
For more TV news and updates, Subscribe to our free newsletter.
I originally got the half price offer at launch but cancelled it at renewal because as Catherine says the content is not there.
I do currently have it again free for 12 months via Sky VIP but I rarely watch it so will be cancelling again at renewal.
Paramount plus just doesn’t work well enough to justify the type of price hikes that other streaming services such as Netflix and Disney have applied recently. It is amazingly glitchy and frustrating to use. They need to sort out their systems.
As well as that, there is not enough fresh content to justify a high price, most or all of the films they have are pretty old. There are a few worthwhile new series though, like ‘Fatal Attraction’. I paid for a year in advance last autumn, but when I’ve watched the few things I’m interested in I certainly won’t be renewing next time.