How to Watch Paramount Plus in 2025: Stream Movies & TV From Anywhere

Key Takeaways: How to Watch Paramount Plus

If you’re outside the U.S., you’ll need to use a VPN to watch Paramount+.

1. Sign up for a VPN, like NordVPN.
2. Download the VPN app.
3. Connect to a U.S. server.
4. Open up Paramount+ to start streaming.

Facts & Expert Analysis:

• Paramount Plus, the new version of CBS All Access, was introduced in March 2021.
• Paramount+ is only available in a handful of countries. If you’re from a geoblocked location, you’ll need a VPN like NordVPN to access Paramount+.
• It’s a worthy service for someone who wants to view next-day CBS prime-time shows without an antenna or access Paramount-exclusive content.

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If you’re craving some change from the usual Netflix or Amazon Prime Video content, Paramount Plus shows and Paramount Pictures movies can be a great change of flavor. In this guide, we will show you how to watch Paramount Plus — both free and paid — in any part of the world.

When CBS All Access rebranded to Paramount+ in 2021, it introduced some extra goodies, like 30,000 episodes of popular shows. It also has more channels, including Comedy Central, Paramount Pictures and Nickelodeon. If you’re a football fan, Paramount+ also has CBS sports for your daily dose of adrenaline.

There’s just one caveat: You can’t stream Paramount Plus if you’re not in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Nordics or Australia — you’ll need a VPN to spoof your location. If you want to know how to watch Paramount Plus, we have a few ways (free and paid) for you. Keep reading for step-by-step instructions on how to watch Paramount Plus.

How to Watch Paramount Plus: What You Need to Know

If you’re in the U.S. or another country where Paramount+ is accessible, you can stream content through the website or the Paramount Plus app. The Paramount+ app is available for all popular devices. You can download the app on your Android TV or Amazon Fire TV Stick, and you’ll also find Paramount Plus for Apple TV in the app store. 

Walmart Plus subscribers automatically receive Paramount Plus Essential as part of their membership, making it one of the most cost-effective ways to access the streaming service without paying separately. T-Mobile customers on eligible plans can receive Paramount Plus Essential for free for 12 months as part of the carrier’s streaming perks package.

In addition, Charter Spectrum TV Select and Mi Plan Latino subscribers can access Paramount Plus Essential for free as part of their cable package, providing another avenue to stream content without additional costs.

These options aren’t available if you’re not in one of the countries where Paramount Plus is accessible — unless you use a VPN. You can access Paramount+ from anywhere with a VPN because it helps you mask your IP address. 

When you use a VPN, it assigns you a new IP that belongs to a server located in one of the countries where Paramount+ is accessible. When you visit the website after connecting with, say, a VPN server in the U.S., the website will think that you’re physically located in the U.S. and allow you to access the content.

How to Watch Paramount Plus for Free With a VPN

You need a VPN to take advantage of the free trial if you’re in a country where Paramount+ isn’t available. Simply sign up with Paramount+ and a VPN service provider to stream your desired content for free, then cancel your Paramount+ subscription before it auto-renews and claim your 30-day money-back guarantee from the VPN service provider.

Alternatively, before committing to VPN a subscription, you can sample content through Paramount Plus’s free episode library, which includes select episodes from popular shows without requiring account creation.

1. Download and Install the VPN

   First, head over to NordVPN’s website and choose a plan. You can get a discount of up to 76% risk-free because it’s covered by the 30-day money-back guarantee.

   

2. Connect to a U.S. Server

   When you launch the VPN app and sign in, you’ll see a list of server locations. Find and connect to a U.S. server.

   

3. Open the Paramount+ Website

   You should now be able to open the Paramount+ website. Sign up for the free trial. When you’re done, enter your Paramount Plus login credentials, which will take you to the home screen. If you don’t want to continue to pay for the VPN, make sure to ask for a refund within 30 days.

   

When using a VPN like NordVPN or Surfshark to access Paramount+, you can also take advantage of the built-in ad blockers to eliminate pre-roll ads and pop-ups that appear during playback. This feature is particularly valuable for Essential plan subscribers, who would otherwise be subjected to frequent advertisements.

For the best streaming experience if using NordVPN, select one of the specialized streaming servers when connecting to a U.S. location. These servers are optimized for video streaming platforms like Paramount+ and typically offer more consistent speeds and better unblocking capabilities than standard servers.

For persistent connection problems, clearing your browser cache and cookies can reset your viewing profile and potentially resolve streaming errors. ExpressVPN users should select U.S. servers with the lowest latency for buffer-free 4K streaming performance.

Note that when streaming Paramount Plus through different devices, ad-blocking effectiveness varies significantly. For optimal ad-blocking on mobile devices, use features like NordVPN’s browser extension rather than the app, as it more effectively eliminates both pre-roll and pause-screen advertisements.

Different VPNs handle Paramount Plus ads with varying effectiveness. NordVPN’s Threat Protection Pro allows you to skip ads by jumping ahead one or two minutes, but it causes slight video desyncing.

Surfshark’s CleanWeb 2.0, on the other hand — available only in the browser extension (not the desktop app) — can completely remove both video commercials and pause-screen pop-ups, creating a truly ad-free experience. For Essential plan subscribers facing frequent advertisements, these ad-blocking differences can significantly impact viewing satisfaction.

However, on smart TVs, ad-blocking VPNs like NordVPN’s Threat Protection feature are less effective since they can’t be directly installed on most TV operating systems, making computer or mobile streaming with HDMI connection a better option for an ad-free experience.

Another benefit of NordVPN is that its Threat Protection feature not only blocks ads on Paramount+ but also prevents malware and stops trackers, ensuring a smoother and more private streaming experience. You can enable this feature in the settings menu before connecting to a server.

Alternatively, if you’re using Surfshark and want to block Paramount+ ads completely, consider using its browser extension with CleanWeb 2.0 instead of the desktop app. The browser extension version is more effective at eliminating both video commercials and the pop-up ads that appear when you pause content.

If NordVPN and Surfshark aren’t working for you, ExpressVPN is another excellent option for accessing Paramount+. While it’s more expensive, ExpressVPN consistently unblocks all Paramount+ content and offers some of the fastest streaming speeds available, which is ideal for watching in HD or 4K without buffering.

How to Watch Paramount Plus on TV

If you want to watch Paramount+ on TV, there are a few ways you can do it — though this will depend on whether you have a smart TV. If you do have a smart TV, you can simply install the Paramount Plus app and log in. Compatible smart TVs include Samsung, LG, Android and Fire TV.

If you don’t have a smart TV — or one that’s compatible with the Paramount Plus app — there are a few other options for getting Paramount Plus on your TV. Streaming devices such as Apple TV, Amazon Firestick and Roku support the Paramount+ app (we’ll get into this in the next section), as do game consoles like Xbox or Playstation support.

On PlayStation 5, the Paramount+ app supports 4K HDR streaming with 3D audio capabilities, while the Xbox Series X/S version allows background playback while using other console features.

You can also cast the Paramount Plus app to your TV from a mobile device using Google Chromecast. Lastly, you can simply connect your laptop, smartphone or tablet to your TV via an HDMI cable.

How to Watch Paramount Plus on Roku

As we mentioned above, a streaming device like Roku can help you watch Paramount Plus on TV. Once you’ve purchased a Roku device and set it up, all you need to do is go to the channel store and add the Paramount+ channel (app).

Then, create a Paramount Plus account and subscribe to the service. Once you’ve done that, you can enjoy Paramount Plus content on your Roku just like you would from the Paramount+ mobile app — only you’ll watch it on your TV.

As we mention later on, though, if you sign up to Paramount+ through your Roku account, you’ll also need to cancel it there.

What Is Paramount Plus?

Paramount Plus is a streaming service owned by ViacomCBS and replaces its predecessor, CBS All Access. You can access it using a mobile device, computer, smart TV like Android or Apple TV, and a range of other devices. 

Like its predecessor, Paramount+ offers live access to the local CBS network. Subscribers can also view some movies (like ‘The SpongeBob Movie’) with Dolby Vision on select devices.

Paramount+ Premium subscribers can download up to 25 titles at once across devices, with most content available for 30 days after download or 48 hours after starting playback.

Each Paramount+ account supports up to six unique user profiles with personalized recommendations and watchlists, plus dedicated kids’ profiles with parental controls that restrict content based on age ratings

The platform’s GroupWatch feature allows up to seven subscribers to simultaneously stream the same content while sharing reactions through a dedicated chat interface, enhancing the social viewing experience.

Subscribers can manually adjust video quality settings in the Paramount+ app to optimize streaming based on their internet connection, with options ranging from “data saver” (0.5GB per hour) to “maximum” (up to 7GB per hour for 4K content).

Paramount+ has announced plans to expand into 45 new markets by 2026, including additional European countries, parts of Asia and Africa, potentially reducing the need for VPN access in these regions.

Paramount Plus Price vs Other Streaming Services

Paramount Plus starts at $59.99 per year plus applicable taxes for the ad-supported Essential plan, which doesn’t include a live-stream option from your local CBS affiliate.

Paramount Plus offers various bundle options, including discounted rates when combined with Showtime or as part of streaming bundles through services like Amazon Prime Channels or Apple TV channels.

The Paramount+ with Showtime plan is the best value, at $119.99 per year (excluding tax). Paramount Plus with Showtime combines both streaming libraries, offering a more comprehensive entertainment package that includes Showtime’s premium content alongside Paramount’s extensive catalog.

The Premium plan includes live TV access to your local CBS station, so you can watch live sports, news and prime-time programming as it airs without a traditional cable subscription. However, this method won’t provide the full catalog.

It also offers ad-free streaming, though a few shows may still include short promotional interruptions. If you want an ad-free streaming experience, check out our guide on how to block ads on Paramount Plus.

College students can access Paramount+ at a 25% discount when they verify their student status through SheerID, making it one of the few major streaming platforms with dedicated student pricing.

Max

Max, at a regular rate of $150 per year, is among the priciest options, but the streaming service offers access to Warner Bros. movies scheduled for theatrical release. 

If you want the theatrical releases, Max is your only option — but you’ll need to shell out a couple extra dollars. Our guide on how to watch Max has more details. If you want to watch Disney shows, Disney Plus would be a great option.

There’s a more budget-friendly, ad-supported version you can opt for at $100 per year. Though cheaper, the plan requires you to give up on the theatrical releases of movies like ‘Matrix 4’ and ‘Dune,’ and it doesn’t allow mobile downloads.

Netflix

Netflix is almost synonymous with online streaming at this point, but it costs a fair bit. The Basic plan comes in at $120 per year, and the Standard plan — its best value — costs about $186 per year. 

If you have friends who also want to subscribe to Netflix, it makes sense to pay $240 per year for the Premium tier, which lets you stream and download content on up to four devices. Even though it’s expensive, Netflix is the benchmark against which all other streaming services are compared. 

Paramount+ Cost Comparison

Paramount+ is a cost-effective alternative compared to its rivals, at least for the time being. Monthly plans offer flexibility, but annual subscription plans for Paramount Plus provide significant savings of approximately 16% compared to paying month to month.

At $99.99 per year, its Premium plan costs less than Netflix’s Basic plan. It also lets you stream on three devices on the Basic plan compared to Netflix’s two. However, there are some device limitations to be aware of, particularly with older smart TVs and gaming consoles that may not support the latest app version.

Paramount Plus Premium subscribers can also download content for offline viewing on mobile devices, making it convenient for travel or areas with poor internet connectivity.

However, it offers limited offline viewing capabilities, with downloaded content expiring after only 48 hours and a maximum of 25 downloadable files allowed per account. For users who frequently travel or have unstable internet connections, these restrictions can be problematic.

Alternative solutions like KeepStreams allow unlimited downloads with no expiration dates, though this requires a separate subscription. Premium plan subscribers should note that the download feature only works on mobile devices, not on desktop computers or smart TVs.

Is There a Paramount Plus Free Trial?

Free trials are a blessing when you want to stream exclusive content. Fortunately, Paramount+ does offer a free seven-day trial to new subscribers. You can use the free trial to livestream a sporting event or binge-watch a show or a couple of movies.

Of course, you’ll need a VPN if you’re in a country where Paramount+ isn’t available. You could combine Paramount’s free trial with a VPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee and watch your favorite CBS content or Comedy Central shows on Paramount completely free for a week.

We’ve compiled other methods to cut cost and save money on streaming services. While it won’t entirely eliminate your subscription fees, it might be helpful if you’re under budget.

What’s on Paramount Plus?

There’s a huge library of TV shows and movies to choose from. Some of the best Paramount Plus shows are:

• ‘Why Women Kill’
• ‘Star Trek’ (‘Discovery,’ ‘Lower Decks,’ ‘Picard,’ ‘Voyager,’ ‘The Next Generation’ and upcoming ‘Star Trek’ originals like ‘Prodigy’ and ‘Strange New Worlds’)
• ‘The Good Fight’
• ‘For Heaven’s Sake’
• ‘The Twilight Zone’
• ‘Real World Homecoming’
• ‘SEAL Team’
• ‘Tales of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’

Paramount+ has integrated CBS Sports HQ where you can view live sports throughout the year, including events like:

• UEFA club competition matches
• UEFA Europa League
• UEFA Champions League
• NFL games
• The Masters
• PGA Tour
• The PGA Championship 
• Concacaf

If you’re a movie buff, it also has hit movies like:

• ‘A Quiet Place’
• ‘Paw Patrol’
• ‘The SpongeBob Movie’
• ‘Top Gun’
• ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’

Soccer fans will appreciate that ‘Sir Alex Ferguson: Never Give In’ — the movie about the story of the legendary manager of Manchester United — is also on Paramount Plus. Besides that, golf fans will have the opportunity to watch the PGA Championship on CBS Sports HQ.

The platform also features Paramount+ Original Films like ‘The In Between,’ ‘Jerry & Marge Go Large,’ and ‘Secret Headquarters’ that bypass theatrical releases and debut exclusively on the streaming service.

Sadly, some of Paramount Network’s biggest shows, such as ‘Yellowstone’ and ‘MTV Music Awards,’ aren’t available on Paramount Plus. If you want to catch up on the latest episode, we have written guides on how to watch ‘Yellowstone’ and how to watch ‘MTV Music Awards’.

Beyond regular programming, Paramount+ streams exclusive live events like ‘One Night Only’ concerts, Comedy Central roasts and MTV award show pre-shows with behind-the-scenes content not available on broadcast television.

How to Cancel Paramount Plus

If you decide to cancel your Paramount Plus subscription, the cancelation method depends entirely on how you initially signed up. For subscriptions created through the Paramount Plus website, cancel by logging into your account, clicking your profile picture, selecting “account” and choosing “cancel subscription.”

However, if you subscribed through Google Play Store, Apple App Store, Roku or Amazon, you must cancel directly through those platforms. This distinction is crucial, as Paramount Plus cannot process cancelations for subscriptions managed by third-party billing systems.

Final Thoughts

Paramount Plus is a great platform for subscribers who want to stream shows like ‘Survivor,’ ‘Evil,’ or ‘Strange Angel.’ With the week-long free trial, you can spend your weekend binge-watching some exclusive shows or streaming your favorite movies.

If you’re located in a geoblocked country, you can always use a VPN, like NordVPN. If you use up the free trial and still want to continue watching movies for free, worry not. Our comprehensive guide on how to watch free movies online details a list of streaming options to access free content, such as Stremio, which is perfect for freebie lovers.

Have you tried to access Paramount Plus from a geoblocked country? Were you able to successfully use a VPN to bypass the geoblocks? Let us know in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading.

FAQ

• Is Paramount Plus Free With Amazon Prime?

  Yes, you can get a free seven-day trial of Paramount+ through your Amazon Prime account. You can access the content right from the Amazon Prime Video app. Once your trial ends, your Amazon account will be charged automatically unless you cancel the subscription.

• How Do I Access Paramount Plus?

  You can access Paramount+ through its website or apps. If you’re in a country where Paramount+ isn’t available, you can use a VPN to connect to a U.S. server to access Paramount+.

• Where Can I Get Paramount Plus?

  You can get Paramount Plus on ParamountPlus.com, the Apple app store, the Google Play Store, Amazon Fire TV and on Apple TV channels on the Apple TV app.

• How Can I Watch Paramount Plus for Free?

  You can sign up for the seven-day trial either through the Paramount Plus website or through your Amazon Prime account. However, you’ll need a VPN to access the website if you’re in a geoblocked location.

• What Happened to CBS All Access?

  Parent company ViacomCBS changed the name of its streaming service, CBS All Access, to Paramount Plus in 2021.