Paramount Plus Review [Year]: Is It Worth Your Money?

Contents

When I first heard about Paramount Plus, I was curious. 🤔

The idea of having a streaming service with a mix of classic movies, popular TV shows, live sports, and original content sounded appealing.

Over the past few months, I’ve used Paramount Plus a lot, and now I want to share my honest thoughts.

This review will cover everything you need to know about Paramount Plus, its strengths, weaknesses, and whether it’s worth subscribing to.

🤔 What is Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus is a streaming service owned by Paramount Global, offering a mix of movies, TV shows, live sports, and original content.

Launched in March 2021 as a rebrand of CBS All Access, it features a vast library from Paramount, CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel.

Users can choose between ad-supported and ad-free plans, with the latter including Showtime content.

The platform is known for its extensive Star Trek collection, live NFL games, soccer coverage, and popular shows like NCIS and Survivor.

Accessible on various devices, Paramount Plus aims to provide a comprehensive entertainment experience.

👉 Content Library

One of the main reasons I tried Paramount Plus was because of its huge content library. I like a lot of different genres, and Paramount Plus didn’t disappoint. Here’s a closer look at what they offer:

Movies

Paramount Plus has a good selection of movies. Here are some highlights:

Classic Films: Movies like The Godfather, Chinatown, and Forrest Gump.
Recent Releases: Films like A Quiet Place Part II, Infinite, and The Tomorrow War.
Diverse Genres: Action, comedy, drama, horror – they have it all.

I enjoyed re-watching The Godfather series and found the quality of the remastered versions excellent. The selection of classic films alone makes Paramount Plus valuable.

TV Shows

TV shows are another strong point for Paramount Plus. They have a wide range of shows, including:

CBS Procedurals: NCIS, Criminal Minds, and CSI.
Reality TV: Survivor, Big Brother, Teen Mom, and RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Star Trek Universe: Star Trek: Discovery, Picard, Lower Decks, and classics like The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.

As a Star Trek fan, I was thrilled with the extensive collection. I spent hours exploring both old favorites and new shows.

Original Content

Paramount Plus is creating more original content to compete with other streaming services. Some of their originals include:

The Good Fight: A popular legal and political drama.
iCarly Reboot: A revival of the beloved Nickelodeon series.
Real World Reunion: A fresh take on the original reality show.
Stephen King’s The Stand: A thrilling adaptation of the classic novel.
1883: A spinoff of the hit show Yellowstone.

I found The Good Fight particularly engaging, with its sharp writing and timely social commentary. The iCarly reboot was a fun trip down memory lane.

Live Sports

A unique feature of Paramount Plus is its live sports coverage. This sets it apart from other streaming services like Netflix and Disney Plus. Here’s what you can watch:

NFL: Live NFL games on CBS.
PGA Golf: Major golf tournaments like The Masters.
Men’s College Basketball: Including March Madness.
Soccer: UEFA Champions League, Europa League, Serie A, and CONCACAF Qualifiers.

As a soccer fan, I appreciated the extensive coverage of international leagues and tournaments. Watching live sports was a major draw for me.

👁️ User Experience of Paramount Plus

Paramount Plus offers a user-friendly experience with a clean and intuitive interface. Navigation is straightforward, with clear categories like Shows, Movies, Live TV, and News.

The platform allows for multiple user profiles, each with personalized recommendations and watchlists. The My List feature helps users keep track of their favorite content.

The Live TV section resembles a traditional cable TV grid, making it easy to browse and watch live broadcasts. However, one drawback is the inability to rewind, fast forward, or pause live TV.

Paramount Plus is compatible with a wide range of devices, ensuring accessibility for most users, although it is not yet available on PlayStation 5.

Overall, the service provides a seamless and enjoyable viewing experience.

Profile Customization

You can create multiple profiles, each with personalized recommendations and a watchlist.

The My List feature lets you save your favorite shows and movies, making it easy to pick up where you left off.

Live TV Section

The Live TV section looks like a traditional cable TV grid. You can browse channels like CBS, CBS News, and ET Live.

However, you can’t rewind, fast forward, or pause live TV, which can be a bit inconvenient.

Device Compatibility

Paramount Plus works on many devices, so you can watch your favorite content anywhere. Supported devices include:

Web Browsers
Apple TV, iPhone, and iPad
Android TV, Phone, and Tablet
Chromecast
Fire TV
Portal TV
PlayStation 4
Samsung TV
Vizio TV
LG TV
Roku
Xbox One, Series S, and Series X
Xfinity Flex and X1
Cox Contour Box

However, it’s not yet available on PlayStation 5, which might be a limitation for some users.

😎 Unique Selling Points of Paramount Plus Compared to Competitors

Extensive Star Trek Library

Paramount Plus offers a vast collection of Star Trek content, including classic series like The Original Series, The Next Generation, and Deep Space Nine, as well as newer originals like Discovery and Picard. This extensive library sets it apart from competitors like Netflix and Hulu, which have more limited selections of Star Trek content.

Live Sports Coverage

Unlike Netflix and Disney Plus, Paramount Plus provides live sports coverage, including NFL games, PGA golf, and extensive soccer coverage like the UEFA Champions League and Serie A. This makes it a go-to platform for sports enthusiasts, similar to ESPN+ but with a broader entertainment offering.

Access to CBS Content

Paramount Plus includes access to a wide range of CBS content, from popular procedurals like NCIS and Criminal Minds to reality shows like Survivor and Big Brother.

This is a significant advantage over Disney Plus and Apple TV+, which do not offer such extensive network TV content.

Affordable Pricing with Premium Options

Paramount Plus offers competitive pricing with plans starting at $5.99 per month. For those seeking an ad-free experience, the Paramount Plus with Showtime plan provides additional premium content. In comparison, Netflix and Hulu have higher starting prices for their ad-free tiers.

User-Friendly Interface with Live TV Section

The platform’s user-friendly interface includes a Live TV section that resembles a traditional cable TV grid, allowing users to browse and watch live broadcasts easily. This feature is more comprehensive than similar offerings on Hulu, which also has live TV but at a higher cost and with a different interface.

Comparison with Competitors

Netflix: Known for its vast library and original content, Netflix lacks live sports and extensive network TV shows. Paramount Plus offers a more varied content mix with live sports and CBS shows.
Hulu: While Hulu has a solid library of TV shows and offers a live TV option, it is generally more expensive than Paramount Plus for similar services. Paramount Plus stands out with its CBS and live sports offerings.
Disney Plus: Focused heavily on Disney, Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar content, Disney Plus lacks the live TV and sports options that Paramount Plus provides. Paramount Plus offers a broader content mix.
ESPN+: Specializes in sports but does not offer movies and TV shows. Paramount Plus combines sports with a wide range of entertainment options, making it more versatile.
Apple TV+: Known for its high-quality original content but has a much smaller library compared to Paramount Plus. Apple TV+ lacks live sports and network TV shows.

Must Check:

Overall, Paramount Plus stands out with its combination of classic and new TV shows, extensive sports coverage, and competitive pricing, offering a unique and comprehensive streaming experience.

✅ Pros and Cons ❌

👍 Pros

Diverse Content Library
Extensive Star Trek Collection
Live Sports Coverage
User-Friendly Interface
Competitive Pricing

👎 Cons

Limited Original Content
No Rewind/Pause for Live TV
PlayStation 5 Incompatibility

💸 Price and Availability

Paramount Plus offers good value for its price. The Essential plan costs $5.99 CAD per month or $59.99 per year. The plan with SHOWTIME is $11.99 per month or $119.99 per year, providing an ad-free experience and extra content.

For those looking for deals, check for Paramount Plus promo codes, which can offer discounts or even a 30-day free trial.

📺 Personal Experience

When I started using Paramount Plus, I was immediately amazed by its vast library of content. I found myself spending hours exploring old favorites and discovering new shows and movies. The variety of genres and the inclusion of live sports made it a comprehensive entertainment package.

One weekend, I decided to dive into the Star Trek universe. I started with Star Trek: The Original Series and gradually made my way through The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager.

The availability of all these series in one place was a dream come true for a Star Trek fan like me.

On another occasion, I explored the classic movie section. Watching The Godfather trilogy was a nostalgic experience, and the quality of the remastered versions was impressive.

I also enjoyed discovering lesser-known classics and indie films that I hadn’t seen before.

Live sports were another highlight. As a soccer enthusiast, I loved watching live UEFA Champions League matches.

The stream quality was excellent, and the convenience of having live sports alongside movies and TV shows made Paramount Plus stand out.

🔥 Conclusion: Is Paramount Plus Worth It?

After using Paramount Plus extensively, I can say that the service has a lot to offer. With a diverse library of movies, a wide range of TV shows, and unique features like live sports and live TV, Paramount Plus is a solid streaming option.

However, it still needs to catch up in terms of original content.

For casual viewers or fans of CBS procedurals, Star Trek, or live sports, Paramount Plus is an excellent choice. If you prioritize a steady stream of original shows, the service may not yet be a must-have.

But it’s definitely a valuable addition to your streaming subscriptions, showing promise as it continues to grow.

In conclusion, Paramount Plus offers good value for its price and has the potential to become a more essential part of the streaming landscape.

For now, it’s a worthy addition to your entertainment options, especially if you’re a fan of the content it offers.

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