Paramount+ Launches Its Cheaper $5 A Month Plan Today

The cheaper, ad-supported Paramount+ subscription plan is available now. A lower pricing tier of $4.99 per month has launched today, three months after the rebranding of the ViacomCBS streaming platform from CBS All Access to Paramount+.

This cheaper subscription plan gives Paramount+ a leg up over its old CBS All Access counterpart (which was $5.99 at its cheapest), as will the summer slate of over 1,000 "premium" movies and new original TV series, led by the Paramount+ exclusive release of the Mark Wahlberg action thriller Infinite.

Starting today, Paramount+ offers the "Essential Plan," an ad-supported tier of $4.99 per month that "combines marquee sports, including NFL games and the UEFA Champions and Europa Leagues, with on-demand entertainment options spanning the full suite of current and upcoming shows and movies, as well as breaking news through CBSN (but will no longer include local live CBS station programming)."

In addition to the launch of the Essential Plan, Paramount+ will offer an extended one-month free trial for all plans using the code MOVIES. The trial starts June 10 at 10:00 A.M. PST and runs through June 30 at 11:59 P.M. PST.

With the launch of this cheaper ad-supported option, the former limited commercial plan (that's the $5.99 one) will no longer be available for new users, though existing users will maintain access.

The Essential Plan joins the Paramount+ Premium Plan, which at $9.99 per month allows users commercial-free viewing with on-demand entertainment with 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and mobile downloads, plus more sports and local programming. One important distinction to note between the ad-supported tier and the premium tier: the Essential Plan will include live sports including NFL games, but it won't include local CBS stations.

Paramount+ scored its first big "former theatrical release turned streaming exclusive" with Infinite, the sci-fi thriller directed by Antoine Fuqua and starring Mark Wahlberg. And the streaming platform is using Infinite's June 10 release to launch an impressive summer slate that includes more than 1,000 "premium" movies and nearly as many TV shows. Paramount+ plans to offer more than 2,500 popular titles by the end of summer 2021.

The first 1,000 films will be available starting June 10. Such titles include: Terminator: Dark Fate, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, Red Dawn, Skyfall, Bumblebee, The Avengers, The Addams Family, Monster Trucks, The Adventures of Tintin, Gemini Man, The Little Hours, Rocketman, Judy, Florence Foster Jenkins, Revolutionary Road, Fighting with My Family, The Birdcage, The Full Monty, Spontaneous, Saint Maud, Crawl, Gretel & Hansel, Pet Sematary, Paranormal Activity 3 & 4, and Little Women.

There are also the many TV shows available, like iCarly (June 17), Evil (June 20), The Good Fight (June 24), Star Trek: Lower Decks, and beloved titles like Rugrats, Younger, and more SpongeBob.

Paramount+ is clearly and aggressively expanding its library. And with the deal that lands Paramount Pictures theatrical hits like A Quiet Place Part II on the streaming platform following a 45 day run in theaters, it may stand a chance against streaming giants like Disney+ and Netflix. Or at least fellow ad-supported streamers like Hulu.