The streaming service Paramount+ is coming to the The Roku Channel as a premium option later this month, the maker of set-top boxes announced today. For those who are unfamiliar with The Roku Channel, the free entertainment channel is available on most streaming devices (with the exception of Apple TV) and offers a menu of premium add-on services such as Showtime, Starz, AMC+ and more.
Adding Paramount+ to the mix will give Roku Channel users access to live sports via CBS Sports, including live NFL games and most regular and postseason games in their local market. International soccer fans will be able to view live UEFA club competition matches, Europa League and World Cup qualifying matches and other live matches. And of course, users will have access to a mountain of other content, including popular CBS shows like Evil and The Good Wife, as well as a number of original Star Trek series.
In the completely saturated streaming universe, Paramount+ is still a relatively new player (the service rebranded from CBS All-Access back in March.) But the company formerly known as ViacomGlobal has packed a lot of content onto the newbie streamer. It also attempted to grow its audience by offering free trials for T-Mobile and Xbox Game Pass users. Such efforts seem to have paid off: Paramount+ reached 40 million subscribers this May, putting it in the same league as Hulu and HBO Max’s US subscriber base.
As far as content offerings go, there’s no difference between signing up for Paramount+ via the Roku Channel or downloading the streamer’s standalone app on your streaming device. The price tiers for Paramount+ are also identical on the Roku Channel, which is $4.99 per month for the ad-supported version, and $9.99 per month for the ad-free version. However, there is a free seven-day trial for Paramount+ on the Roku Channel, which will give users who haven’t tried the service a chance to sample its offerings.