Streaming Prices Are Up, But Paramount+ Is Free with Walmart+

You cut the cord — so why are you still bundled up in TV bills?

Sure, streaming rescued us from shady cable contracts and mystery fees, but with prices climbing and new apps multiplying without a pause button, we’re spending more time browsing our budgets than our watchlists. Take Netflix: back in 2013, the Standard plan was $9.99 a month. In 2025? It’s $17.99. The Premium plan? That one’s more than doubled to $24.99.

And it’s not just Netflix. These days, catching up on your shows feels like being Sisyphus with a remote instead of a boulder, endlessly scrolling through Prime Video, Hulu, Disney+, Max, Peacock, Apple TV+, and every other rectangular logo cluttering your Roku home screen.

If “must watch" has become “can’t afford" — or “don’t have time," thanks to the inconvenient limits of the human lifespan — it might be wise to slim down your streaming stack to just one app. Rest easy, Walmart+ members, for you get Paramount+ Essential included for free (along with a bunch of other perks).

Let’s break down what Paramount+ offers and how to set it up through Walmart+, so you can get back some cash and maybe even get outside.

What You Can Watch on Paramount+

You already know the name Paramount from the movie world — Titanic, Top Gun: Maverick, and franchises like Transformers, Shrek, Indiana Jones, Mission: Impossible, and Star Trek. But Paramount isn’t just about blockbusters. It also owns a whole lineup of iconic networks: CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, The CW, BET, and Comedy Central.

So when Paramount+ says it’s got “A Mountain of Entertainment," they’re not kidding. Whether you’re scaling that mountain in hiking boots or cozy slippers, there’s something for just about everyone, whether your favorite series is NCIS or The Daily Show. From buzzy originals to comfort-watch throwbacks, Paramount+ delivers action flicks, crime dramas, retro cartoons, sci-fi adventures, reality TV, and standup specials. You also get live NFL games and CBS News.

Here’s a taste of the Paramount+ Originals menu:

• Prestige dramas: The Good Fight, Mayor of Kingstown, Tulsa King, Landman, MobLand, 1883, 1923
• Nostalgic reboots: iCarly, Frasier, Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies, Mike Judge's Beavis and Butt-Head
• Family favorites: Dora, SpongeBob, Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
• South Park specials: Post Covid, The Streaming Wars, Joining the Panderverse, The End of Obesity
• Starfleet sagas: Star Trek: Picard, Strange New Worlds, Lower Decks, Section 31

That’s all included with your Walmart+ membership. Your only extra cost is popcorn. (Speaking of which, we like LesserEvil or Skinny Pop when heating kernels on the stovetop feels like too much work and besides, the smoke detector always goes off).

Bonus: Want to ditch the ads and unlock premium content like Yellowjackets, The Chi, Billions, and Dexter: Original Sin? You can upgrade to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME for $5.49/month or $64.99/year — a 57% discount compared to what it costs without Walmart+. (Popcorn is still full price.)

How to Sign Up for Paramount+ with Your Walmart+ Account

If you’re already a Walmart+ member, getting started is super easy. We’ll actually make this a single sentence, not a needlessly intricate step-by-step checklist…

Go to your Walmart+ benefits page (you may need to sign in first), scroll down to “Paramount+ Essential," click to expand the section, and then click “Get Paramount+."

Seriously, that’s it. All right, you’ll need to follow the links to create or connect your Paramount+ account, but it only takes a minute. (Just be sure to cancel any active subscription so you won’t get charged in the future.)

Your Walmart+ benefits page is also where you can upgrade to Paramount+ with SHOWTIME:

To make sure it worked, look for this Paramount+ badge at the bottom of your Walmart+ benefits page:

Watch on your mobile device or TV — or visit paramountplus.com in your web browser — to start ascending that mountain. Free. Plenty of stuff to watch. No cable box, no mystery fees, and (if you downsize your other subscriptions) no existential dread from streaming app overload.

Sign up for Walmart+ to receive Paramount+ Essential Plan now.