Following the bombshell news of Taylor Sheridan’s upcoming move to NBCUniversal, and despite record viewing numbers, Paramount+ has confirmed it will raise prices again. In its Q3 2025 earnings report, David Ellison’s Paramount Skydance announced that subscription costs for Paramount+ will increase across all tiers in the United States starting January 15, 2026. The streamer’s Essential (ad-supported) plan will rise by $1 to $8.99 per month, while the Premium (ad-free) plan will also climb by $1 to $13.99 per month. Annual plans will follow suit, moving to $89.99 and $139.99, respectively.
The company is claiming that the rise in prices is necessary to cover the costs of the huge investments in IP and live sports in order to become a more attractive streamer. Ellison — now chairman and CEO of the newly merged Paramount Skydance — framed the move as a reinvestment strategy in a letter to shareholders.
“These changes will fuel continued reinvestment in the user experience and deliver an even stronger slate of programming for our customers in the year ahead and beyond.”
Since completing Skydance Media’s $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global in August, Ellison has idicated that he’s keen on a really aggressive strategy of growth — one that includes pricey licensing deals and exclusive franchises. Among them: a $7.7 billion, seven-year partnership with the UFC, making Paramount+ the exclusive home for MMA events, and a $1.5 billion, five-year deal with South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Paramount has also secured the services of Ross and Matt Duffer, the creative duo behind Netflix — and perhaps the world’s — biggest streaming hit, Stranger Things, which will wrap up its final season before the year is out.
Paramount says that even after the January hike, Paramount+ will remain “one of the most competitively priced” services in the U.S. The most popular shows on the network include Sheridan’s hits Landman and Tulsa King, Guy Ritchie‘s MobLand alongside various Star Trek series, plus movie franchises like Mission: Impossible, The Naked Gun, and CBS staples like Survivor and Tracker. But it’s the timing of the price rise, so soon after the negative Sheridan headlines, that’s raised eyebrows. However, the investment won’t be slowing down. Paramount expects to spend an additional $1.5 billion in 2026 across UFC content, Paramount+ originals, and a ramped-up film slate of 15 theatrical releases per year.
