Copyright Parade
If you stream your favorite shows and movies on Paramount+, you’re going to have to pay a little more soon. The company just announced that prices are going up in early 2026. Paramount+ currently has 79 million subscribers worldwide, and the company says it expects its streaming division to finally turn a profit next year. Starting Jan. 15, 2026, the Essential plan (with ads) will increase to $8.99 per month. The Premium plan with no ads will cost $13.99 per month. Annual plans will go up too — $89.99 for Essential and $139.99 for Premium. So why the price hike? Paramount+ says it’s spending billions to bring more content to the platform. That includes new UFC fights, more original shows like Tulsa King and Yellowjackets, and new projects from the Stranger Things creators The Duffer Brothers. The company recently signed a huge $7.7 billion deal with UFC and WWE’s parent company to stream major fight events starting in 2026. In a shareholder letter (via The Hollywood Reporter), CEO David Ellison said the price bump will help “reinvest” in better shows, movies, and live sports. He called the streaming business a “top priority” for Paramount. “Every f–king thing is going up except my paycheck,” said one frustrated Reddit user. “So glad I canceled,” said another. Another Redditor had a wise suggestion: “Wait for the Black Friday deal, don’t sign up for anything until then.” “Paramount Plus has had weak black Friday deals,” another comment said, backing the Black Friday theory up. “Like 2.99/mo for 3 mo when every other month they were doing a month free.” So, if you’re a fan of Tulsa King or can’t wait for live UFC fights to stream next year, you may want to wait until Black Friday to sign up! If not, the extra dollar a month is what Paramount+ says will keep the content coming.
