November 12, 2025, 9:38 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Just after Skydance Media completed the acquisition of Paramount Global for $8 billion, the CEO of Paramount Skydance announced the next price increase for streaming subscribers. Is Germany affected as well?
Price Increases for Paramount+ Starting Early 2026
For Canada and Australia, the company had already confirmed the new prices. In a letter to shareholders regarding the current quarterly report, CEO David Ellison announced higher subscription costs for the U.S. as well. The reason is the extensive investments in Paramount+, aimed at offering more to customers. “To support these ongoing investments, we plan to implement price increases in the U.S. at the beginning of the first quarter of 2026,” the letter states.
According to Variety, the prices for Paramount+ Essential and Premium will each increase by one USD. This means the ad-supported Essential subscription will cost $8.99 instead of $7.99 per month. The ad-free Premium version will rise from $12.99 to $13.99. Annual subscriptions will also see cost increases–especially for the Essential option. Subscribers will pay $89.99, a full $30 more than before, representing a hefty 50 percent increase. The Premium subscription will add $20, for a total price of $139.99. Here is an overview of the new prices:
| Option | Old Price | New Price from Q1 2026 | Price Increase |
| Essential (monthly) | $7.99 | $8.99 | +12.5 percent |
| Premium (monthly) | $12.99 | $13.99 | +7.7 percent |
| Essential (annually) | $59.99 | $89.99 | +50 percent |
| Premium (annually) | $119.99 | $139.99 | +17.7 percent |
Free Trial Subscription Ends
Along with the price increase, Paramount has also announced the end of the free trial period. Currently, the streaming service still offers a one-week trial phase in many markets. However, to increase profit margins, several discount options for subscriptions will be eliminated. The letter to investors includes a passage informing about the “discontinuation of the free trial phase.” Streaming bundles and other discount practices are also under review.
Starting in the fourth quarter of 2025, the company will only report numbers for paying Paramount+ subscribers. Until now, users of the free trial phase have also been included in the figures. In the third quarter of 2025, 1.2 million users had a free trial subscription–about 1.5 percent of the total 79.1 million users.
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Is Paramount Raising Prices in Germany Too?
Most recently, Paramount raised U.S. prices in August 2024. At that time, the Premium subscription increased by one USD to $12.99, and the Essential subscription by 2 USD to $7.99. In Germany, the standard subscription has cost 9.99 euros since June 2025, up from the previous 7.99 euros. Simultaneously, the streaming service introduced its ad-supported subscription for 5.99 euros here as well. Previously, this option was only available in the U.S. and other markets.
Upon request, a spokesperson told TECHBOOK that the “price increases are only planned in the mentioned markets of the U.S., Canada, and Australia.” For Europe and Germany, “no price increases are planned at this time.”
Paramount Skydance Invests Heavily in Content
Overall, the price increase for Paramount+ is quite substantial, averaging 22 percent more in costs. Nevertheless, the company still sees its subscription prices as affordable compared to U.S. competitors, as “Variety” writes.
Paramount has recently invested heavily in content for its streaming platform. The company paid $7.7 billion for exclusive MMA broadcasting rights. Additionally, a $1.5 billion deal brought “South Park” creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker, along with exclusive rights to the cult series, on board. According to Ellison, “South Park” was the main driver for new Paramount+ subscriptions in the third quarter.
Further deals are also being discussed, including a contract with the Duffer Brothers, who were responsible for the Netflix hit series “Stranger Things”. Additionally, Paramount Skydance is interested in a takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery to create a stronger counterbalance to industry leaders Netflix and Disney in the streaming market.