Paramount+ continues to offer subscribers access to a library of great movies and shows, including recent additions like the 21 Jump Street duology, but it hasn’t all been great news for subscribers lately. At the end of October, it was announced acclaimed creative Taylor Sheridan, creator of Yellowstone (which spawned a whole franchise of series) is leaving Paramount. That development was a major blow for Paramount+ users, as it means they won’t be able to enjoy Sheridan’s new work on the platform moving forward. Unfortunately, things are about to go from bad to worse for Paramount+ subscribers, as a price hike is just around the corner.
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According to a shareholder letter from CEO David Ellison (via The Hollywood Reporter), the changes to Paramount+ prices will go into effect on January 15, 2026. The cost for both monthly and annual plans are being increased. Check out the new rates in the space below:
- Essential (with ads): $8.99/month
- Premium (no ads): $13.99/month
- Annual Essential (with ads): $89.99/year
- Annual Premium (no ads): $139.99/year
Paramount+ Price Hikes Come at a Bad Time
As far as consumers are concerned, there’s never really a good time for subscription rates to increase, but the Paramount+ announcement arguably couldn’t have been more poorly timed. Though Sheridan will remain under contract with Paramount until 2028, his impending departure is a major loss for the studio and creates a massive void. In addition to spearheading the Yellowstone franchise, Sheridan is also involved with series like The Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Lioness, and Landman. Even if Sheridan was staying onboard at Paramount, subscribers wouldn’t be happy about price increases, but knowing he’s leaving soon makes this a bitter pill to swallow.
The onus will be on Paramount to find a way to make the extra cost worthwhile. While streaming services offer vast collections of catalog titles, original programming is the bigger selling point, and Paramount is about to lose one of its premier forces on that front. One would hope that Stranger Things creators Matt and Ross Duffer could be suitable replacements, but they’re leaving Netflix for Paramount out of a desire to make theatrical features. The brothers could very well produce new TV series for Paramount, but it sounds like movies will be their main priority. So, Paramount may have to look elsewhere for TV content.
In the wake of the Skydance/Paramount merger, it was reported that Star Trek is a major priority for the studio moving forward. In particular, Paramount is interested in developing a greater sense of synergy between the franchise’s movie and TV projects. Details about what the studio has in mind are slim, but with a new Star Trek movie in development (serving as the launch of a new, post-Kelvin Timeline series), it’s possible that film could be a springboard for an expanded slate of Star Trek projects, including various TV series. Paramount+ has been home to several Star Trek shows already, so there will likely be continued efforts on that front.
As long as Paramount keep delivering quality content, customers won’t mind paying whatever it costs for the streaming service. Fortunately, the studio still has Sheridan under its roof for another couple of years, so there’s plenty of time to figure out a content strategy moving forward, creating a lineup of shows that will excite Paramount+ subscribers. Though some studios believe “streaming is dead,” streaming services will continue to be an integral part of the industry’s plans for the foreseeable future, so hopefully Paramount+ will continue to be a place for high-quality TV.
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