Paramount+ Review 2021

What is Paramount+, you might ask?

Well, Paramount+ is a rebranding of CBS All Access. It’s a live and on-demand TV streaming service where you’ll find all of your favorite CBS TV shows and movies, including Star Trek: Picard, NCIS, The Good Fight, and The Twilight Zone.

And you’ll only have to budget $6–$10 per month for this entertainment on-the-go. Not bad.

Here’s our take on how Paramount+ stacks up for both CBS fans and those just looking for an all-around live TV streaming service.

How much does Paramount+ cost?

You’ve got two choices: limited commercials or no commercials at all

CBS simply has two plans to choose from for its streaming service. The only difference—besides the price—is that one has commercials and one doesn’t. That’s it.

You’ll get the same drama shows, classic movies, and live TV channels with either plan.

And here’s a bonus: if you pay for an annual membership upfront, you’ll save 15%. If you’re a student, you get a student discount of 25% off. Noice.

Paramount+ Limited Commercials plan

The basic Paramount+ plan is the Limited Commercials plan. However, while watching the first episode of Star Trek: Discovery, commercials certainly didn’t seem “limited”—there were five commercial breaks.

We’d say watching TV on the Limited Commercials plan felt no different than watching traditional cable TV, which is to say there’s no shortage of commercial interruptions. (More chances to grab snacks, maybe?)

Paramount+ Commercial Free plan

The other Paramount+ plan, Commercial Free, is just $4 more than the limited commercial plan. You won’t find any difference in content—you’re just paying more for no commercials.

If you ask us, it’s worth spending those extra few dollars to avoid those pesky interruptions.

Keep in mind that if you do get the Commercial Free plan, you cannot skip the ads when you watch live TV on Paramount+. There’s just no way of escaping commercials on live TV. It’s just the nature of the live TV beast—and it’s the same with every other live TV streaming competitor.

Which TV shows are on Paramount+?

Paramount+ lets you stream CBS originals, popular shows, and yes, even NFL games

What is Paramount+?

Paramount+ is the answer to any CBS fanatic’s prayers. For the price of a cup of coffee, you get access to live TV channels, popular TV shows, classic TV shows, original content, and on-demand movies.

You can watch Sunday afternoon NFL football games on CBS with your family on your smart TV, on your smartphone while waiting for your Lyft, or on your tablet while you’re running on the treadmill.

Paramount+’s five different types of programming includes:

• Live TV (your local CBS station if one is available in your area, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, CBS This Morning, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Face the Nation, and CBS Evening News)
• Episodes of current CBS network shows (Big Brother, Love Island, FBI: Most Wanted, and more)
• Episodes of classic CBS shows (The Brady Bunch, Cheers, Frasier, and more)
• Original programming (Star Trek: Discovery, The Thomas John Experience, Coyote, and Interrogation)
• On-demand movies (Charlie’s Angels, Bad News Bears, Titanic, and Forest Gump)

Alongside CBS programming, you’ll find TV episodes and movies from Comedy Central, Nickelodeon, BET, and MTV in your library. Paramount+ promises 30,000 TV episodes and movies for your on-demand entertainment.

Paramount+ top 20 TV shows list

Can I stream live TV with Paramount+?

Streaming live TV is possible, but it’s not available in all markets

Paramount+ gives you access to watch live television with your subscription! You don’t even have to pay an extra fee or sign in with your existing TV provider.

You can get watch CBS, CBSN, CBS Sports HQ, CBS This Morning, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Face the Nation, and CBS Evening News … But there’s a catch.

Unfortunately, Paramount+ Live TV is only available in 200 or so markets. Unfortunately, you won’t know if you’re in one of those markets until you have a subscription, so make sure you double-check to see if you’re in one of those markers during your free trial.

What devices can I stream Paramount+ on?

Of course you need to stream Star Trek while you’re waiting at the DMV

If you want to stream the Barcelona or Chelsea game while you’re on the train, you can easily pull the UEFA Champions League game up on the Paramount+ app.

And you can share your account with one other person as you can have two simultaneous streams. So you and your son who is away at college can watch CBS Sports at the same time.

You can watch your favorite CBS show on any of these streaming devices:

What features does Paramount+ have?

Paramount+ allows you to stream on two different devices, but you can only stream in 720p

You can’t expect too much with an inexpensive streaming service, but Paramount+ does come with pretty standard features.

You get two simultaneous streams, 720p maximum resolution, and playback options for on-demand content.

The biggest issue is the limit to 720p resolution. If you plan to watch on a TV larger than 50 inches, you may notice the image isn’t quite as sharp as 1080p programming. If you’re streaming on a device smaller than that, you’ll be just fine.

Paramount+ vs. other streaming services

It really comes down to this: How bad do you want CBS shows?

Should you go for Paramount+, or is another streaming service better? Great question. Honestly, it depends on what you want out of it.

If you want access to your favorite CBS shows, originals, CBS news, and sports aired on CBS, $6–$10 per month is nothing. 

If you want access to lots of live TV channels, a wide range of TV shows, movies, premium channels, and original content, check out the competition.

^{*Paramount+ channels include a local CBS channel if one is available in your area, CBS Sports HQ, CBSN, CBS This Morning, 60 Minutes, 48 Hours, Face the Nation, and CBS Evening News.}

^{† Date effective 3/4/2021.}

Recap: Is Paramount+ worth it?

If you’re a CBS fan, yes. If you’re a fan of lots of channels, check out other streaming services

If you live for CBS dramas, like the snarky back-and-forth commentary between McGarrett and Danno on Hawaii Five-0, or if you need a daily dose of NCIS (how does Gibbs fit that boat in his basement, anyway?), Paramount+ is a dream come true at a great price.

But if you’re looking for more channels and on-demand shows and movies, check out our top live TV streaming services.