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Walmart is continuing to make its way into the streaming space. The retailer is expanding its five-year-old Walmart+ program with a new entertainment twist: members can now choose between Peacock Premium or Paramount+ Essential, included at no additional cost with their annual or monthly membership. The move places Walmart+ squarely in the middle of the ever-evolving streaming landscape, giving subscribers access to a major platform without having to tack on another bill.
The retail giant has steadily layered benefits onto Walmart+ since its 2020 launch — from free delivery on grocery and general merchandise orders over $35, to next-day and two-day shipping on Walmart.com with no order minimum, to savings on fuel at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, Murphy stations and Sam’s Club. Now, by integrating streaming into its bundle, Walmart is positioning its membership as not just a shopping convenience, but a lifestyle membership that covers entertainment as well as household needs.
The streaming add-on arrives at a moment when consolidation is reshaping the media landscape. To maintain a competitive edge, both Paramount+ and Peacock have grown their streaming lineups with some of the buzziest film and show titles, live events and cable news offerings. Peacock continues to push original series alongside NBCUniversal’s robust live-sports lineup, including the Olympics and NBA, in addition to complete seasons from networks such as Bravo and NBC. Paramount+, meanwhile, boasts exclusive access to live sports such as UEFA Champions League and offers access to beloved shows from CBS and Nickelodeon.
Walmart+ remains priced at $98 /year or $12.95/month, with a 30-day free trial available. Plus, members must re-select their preferred streaming service every 90 days, meaning they can oscillate between Peacock or Paramount+ depending on their preferred shows and films at any given time.