There is a Paramount Plus Bundle available and it could result in a decent saving each month for those that are also paying for Showtime. Even if not currently signed up to Showtime, some households may find that bundling the two services is worth it considering the greater variety of live and on-demand content that becomes available.
If just signing up to Paramount Plus, the cost will depend on the level of plan chosen. The cheapest option is the Essential plan which costs $4.99 per month. Although Essential provides unlimited access to Paramount Plus, it is an ad-supported plan. If wanting an ad-free version, the consumer will need to pay $9.99 per month for the Paramount Plus Premium plan. When it comes to Showtime, there’s no ad-supported tier available. Instead, the only standalone subscription is the $10.99 per month standard plan. This $11 Showtime subscription not only makes it possible to watch all of the Showtime shows and movies on demand, but it also unlocks access to the live Showtime channels as well.
If paying for the cheapest Paramount Plus plan and Showtime separately, households could be paying as much as $15.98 per month. This is where the Paramount Plus and Showtime bundle comes in. While Paramount and CBS (who owns Showtime) were separate companies in the past, they merged in 2019 to create ViacomCBS, and this joint company has since changed to Paramount Inc. Regardless of the name, the merger of the two now makes it possible to bundle Paramount Plus and Showtime together.
For those happy with occasional ads when watching Paramount Plus, then the Essential plan can be bundled with the standard Showtime subscription for $11.99 per month, resulting in a saving of around $4 per month. It is also possible to bundle the Premium Paramount Plus plan and Showtime subscription for $14.99 per month. Opting for the ad-free bundle results in a saving of roughly $6 per month, making it the better deal overall.
It is also possible to sign up to an annual plan which reduces the cost even further. For example, the annual Paramount Plus Essential plan with Showtime bundle costs $119.99 per year. This brings the average monthly cost down to $9.99, making it cheaper than the cost of a standalone Showtime subscription. Likewise, the Premium plan with Showtime bundle costs $149.99 per year, resulting in an average monthly cost of $12.49.
Bundle Showtime with Essential or Premium?
As mentioned, the Essential plan is an ad-supported tier while Premium is an ad-free subscription and this is really the main reason to opt for one plan over the over. If watching ads is not a problem, then the Essential Showtime bundle might be a better option and certainly a cheaper way to access both subscriptions. With the standard Showtime plan costing $10.99 per month on its own, the bundle basically adds Paramount Plus for $1 more each month.
However, ads might not be the only reason to consider upgrading to the Paramount Plus Premium plan. For example, Premium also provides access to a home’s local CBS channel. While Premium actually provides access to a number of live channels, CBS is likely to be the one that matters most, and is easily the one that offers the best value and reason to upgrade overall.
If not already signed up to a live TV subscription, or subscribed to one that doesn’t include local CBS, then the Premium plan is likely to be worth considering. It will increase the cost of the bundle by $4 each month but that’s not a lot considering it opens up access to more live TV and skips the ads. It is worth mentioning that if opting for the Premium plan, consumers should still expect to see ads when watching live CBS. After all, it is live TV and there is no way to skip ads that are being shown during a live broadcast of an episode or movie.
Paramount+ and Showtime bundle summary
At $11.99 per month, households can save $4 each month by combining both Paramount and Showtime subscriptions together. Alternatively, paying $14.99 per month will not only make it possible to combine ad-free Paramount Plus and Showtime subscriptions, but also unlock access to local CBS in the process. This makes the ad-free bundle even more appealing for homes that don’t currently have a live TV subscription or don’t get access to CBS through their current plan.
Even if not planning to subscribe to both services, the bundle may still be worth considering, although this will depend on the needs of the individual household. For example, if paying for just Showtime, Paramount Plus can be added for as little as $1 more per month. However, if only in need of ad-free Paramount Plus, and not that interested in getting Showtime for $5, then it’s probably not worth bundling the services together.
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