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Paramount Plus is a premium streaming service which was formerly known as CBS All Access.
The service is owned by ViacomCBS and brings together content from brands Paramount Pictures, CBS, BET, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central and the Smithsonian Channel, all of which they also own.
Additionally, you can also stream Showtime content with their Paramount+ with Showtime plan. This plan replaces the Paramount+ ad-free tier and is the only way to get Showtime since ViacomCBS merged the two services last year.
Paramount Plus offers hit movies and TV shows as well Live TV, news and sports. They also offer original programing not available anywhere else like the Star Trek spinoff series Picard and Lower Decks.
One benefit of having a Paramount+ subscription is that you’ll also get to catch new movie releases from Paramount while they premiere in theaters.
These new releases are only available to subscribers in the US only. Paramount+ is also available as an independent streaming service in limited regions with localized content including Canada, Mexico, South America and Scandinavia. In some other regions, you can get access to Paramount+ through third-party providers.
Like most entertainment streaming services, Paramount Plus offers a free trial to new users who want to try their service. Currently they offer a 7-day free trial which you can get through their own website and also through Amazon Prime Video channels.
Below, I’ll show you how to sign up for a free trial through Paramount+ and also through Amazon and The Roku Channel.
You can sign up for each free trial back to back and essentially get 21 days free!
How To Start Your Paramount+ Free Trial (Step-by-Step)
Signing up for a Paramount+ free trial requires that you have your credit card to enter billing information.
There are three main ways to sign up for a Paramount+ free trial:
- sign up through the Paramount+ website
- sign up via Amazon Prime Channels if you have a Prime account
- sign up via The Roku Channel
You can also sign up directly via the Paramount+ app anywhere it is offered. A free trial is sometimes available this way as well. For now, this article will focus on the three ways in which you can claim a free trial by signing up through your desktop browser.
These trials can be taken consecutively which means you get 21 days free instead of 7.
Here’s how easy it is to start a free trial on each platform.
Starting Your 7 Day Trial on Paramount+
Starting your free trial through Paramount+ is very easy. It’s also cheaper if you don’t already have Prime.
Once you’re on the website, click on the “Try For Free” button to get started. Follow the steps below to start streaming Paramount+ content free for the next 7 days.
1. Pick your plan and billing frequency
There are two plan options to pick from – Essential which costs $5.99/month after the free trial and Paramount+ with Showtime which costs $11.99/month.
You won’t able to download shows to watch offline with the Essential plan as that feature is only available on the Showtime inclusive plan.
The latter plan also adds your local CBS station with Live TV and has no ads except on Live TV and a few shows.
I picked the Paramount+ with Showtime option as I’d want do download shows for offline watching and also to watch Showtime content.
Note that you can also choose an annual billing plan to save if you plan to keep Paramount+ for that long.
2. Create a Paramount+ account
The next step is to create an account where you enter your name, create login credentials, enter your zip code and some other info.
The info here is to give you personalized show recommendations from the channels like BET, MTV, CBS etc.
Providing a zip code helps you access your local CBS station.
Your login credentials are your email and password created in this step so that you can access Paramount+ on whichever streaming device you choose.
The box below the form comes pre-checked but you can always uncheck it to opt out of marketing emails and other communication from ViacomCBS.
3. Enter your billing info
Paramount+ asks for your billing information with this 7-day trial and you can choose to subscribe with either your credit card or with PayPal.
You can also enter a coupon code here if you have one.
You’ll see info on when your trial ends and what you’ll be charged based on the plan you chose. If you cancel before your trial ends, you won’t be charged.
Click “Start Paramount+” to start streaming.
Starting Your Paramount+ Free Trial With Amazon Channels
If you have an Amazon Prime Video subscription, you could also get a full 7-day free trial of Paramount Plus.
Paramount Plus is just one of over 100 channels you could try for free when you’re a Prime member.
To get started you need to have either a Prime Subscription or just a Prime Video subscription.
Once that requirement is satisfied, follow the easy steps below to subscribe to Paramount+ with a 7-day free trial.
- Visit the Paramount+ channel page in Prime Video
- Click on the “More details” button on the channel banner or mouse over any video and click “watch with a free 7-day trial”.
- Click on the “Start Your 7-day free trial” button.
- You can choose your plan and confirm your details on the next page.
- Click on the “Start Your Free Trial” button to start watching.
This free trial option is great if you want to try both Paramount+ and Showtime or just want a way to watch Showtime content since the Showtime-only service isn’t available anymore.
Starting Paramount+ on The Roku Channel
The Roku Channel is an app that is available on Roku streaming devices. It is a hub for free content and live television but also has a wide variety of premium channels such as BET+, Starz and MGM+.
Paramount+ is also an available premium channel that you can subscribe to inside The Roku Channel app. All channels have a free trial before you’re asked to pay.
For viewers who do not have a Roku streaming device, you can also access The Roku Channel in your desktop browser and stream from there.
To claim a free trial of Paramount Plus on The Roku Channel, you can follow the steps below.
- Go to the Paramount Plus channel page in The Roku Channel.
- Click on “See Plans” and choose one of the plans. Paramount+ with Showtime is selected by default.
- Click on the “Confirm Selection” button on the bottom of the page.
- Add or confirm your payment details.
- Click on “Start free trial” to start watching Paramount Plus.
Both the Essential plan and the Showtime plan is available with Paramount Plus on the Roku Channel. And the best part? The Roku Channel does not require a separate subscription.
Price After Paramount Plus Free Trial
Paramount+ has two subscription options. You’ll need to choose one of them when you’re signing up for the free trial.
When your trial ends, you’ll be charged depending on which plan you chose at signup.
The Essential plan costs $5.99/month and the Showtime plan costs $11.99/month on all platforms.
The main difference between both plans are that with the Showtime plan, you can:
- download movies and shows to watch offline
- get access to your local CBS station on Live TV
- except for Live TV and a few shows you get no ads
There are limited ads on some shows with the Essential plan. Both options have all other features and content included.
What’s Showing on Paramount+?
You get a wide variety of entertainment with Paramount Plus.
For starters, if movies is your thing, Paramount+ has classic movies from Paramount Pictures as well as brand new releases that are still showing in theaters.
Some of the main attractions are recent releases such as the Bob Marley biopic One Love (trailer below), the franchise action Transformers: Rise of the Beasts and gamers will love Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
Showtime has a great selection of movies also including Oscar favorite, Everything Everywhere All At Once and more. Besides movies, there are lots of great shows from CBS, Showtime originals like Yellowjackets and The Chi and also originals made exclusively for Paramount+ such as Mayor of Kingstown.
Star Trek fans can enjoy both Picard and the animated Lower Decks as well as classic Star Trek shows and movies.
Don’t forget that you’ll also enjoy content from channels like Nickelodeon (which airs Spongebob Squarepants, Henry Danger and the Paw Patrol series from Nick Jr.), MTV, BET and others.
Sports fans will get all the sports they need from CBS Sports like live soccer and replays from UEFA, NFL and more.
You’ll also get news and more Live TV shows if you want more than just video on demand.
Should You Get Paramount Plus?
Should you keep your subscription after the 7-day free trial?
With so many streaming services clamoring for your attention, is Paramount+ worth keeping? They do have a lot of diverse content and the features are on par with what other streamers are offering.
Your 7-day free trial should be enough to help you make up your mind about Paramount+ and whether or not you should keep it.
Having the option to access Showtime content in one subscription is also a big plus.
Remember, you can do the trial on Paramount+, The Roku Channel and Amazon and get an even longer trial period.
