Paramount will raise prices for its streamer Paramount+ in January of 2026, as the media conglomerate continues to invest in the “user experience” with investments in the UFC and the Duffer brothers.
“To support this continued investment, we plan to implement price increases in the U.S. early in the first quarter of 2026, and we recently announced upcoming price adjustments in Canada and Australia,” David Ellison, chairman and CEO of Paramount said in a Monday shareholder letter. “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.”
The company will increase monthly subscriptions by $1, offering the basic plan for $7.99 and the ad-free premium tier for $12.99. Annual plans will also increase, with the Essential plan bumping up to $89.99 per year and the Premium plan to $139.99 per year.
Paramount noted that by “removing the secondary pay-per-view paywall” on UFC content they are lowering the barrier for fans to consume the combat sports programming. In August, Paramount announced a seven-year, $7.7 billion deal with UFC parent company TKO, making Paramount+ the new streaming home to UFC events in the U.S.
“We’re excited to deliver this exceptional value, with the cost of an annual subscription to Paramount+ being less than just one UFC pay-per-view event under prior distribution,” the release stated. “We’re confident that greater accessibility will lead to significant incremental subscriber growth and greater engagement across our platform, creating long-term value for both us and the UFC.”
Under Ellison’s new leadership, the company has increasing investment in content. The company touted an upcoming film project with Timotheé Chalamet and James Mangold. On an earnings call, executives said the company plans to release 15 movies a year starting in 2026.
Additionally, Paramount has signed an exclusive four-year deal with “Stranger Things” creators the Duffer brothers across film, television and streaming. Ahead of the next quarter Paramount touted its most-watched original title “Tulsa King,” the upcoming season of “Landman,” franchises like “South Park,” the “Dexter: Resurrection” Season 2 renewal and the final season of “Yellowjackets.”
The platform will also host the AFC Championship on Jan. 25 and UEFA Champions League Matchday 8 on Jan. 28.
Paramount posted a total loss of $257 million in its third quarter of 2025, including a $13 million loss under its new owner Skydance and $244 million under the media giant’s previous leadership.
The streaming platform added 1.4 million new subscribers for a total of 79 million, up from 77.7 million in the second quarter and 79 million reported in the first quarter. However, 1.2 million of those subscribers are on a free trial.
