Paramount Plus vs. CBS All Access: What changed besides the name?
Best Answer: The main difference between Paramount+ and its predecessor, CBS All Access, is its expanded media library that features a variety of CBS content and series from other ViacomCBS-owned brands, plus an expanding collection of Paramount Pictures films.
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Paramount+ vs. CBS All Access: Content
CBS All Access was rebranded on March 4 as Paramount+, a new and improved streaming service that came about due to Viacom and CBS merging to become ViacomCBS in 2019.
Besides the name change, the main difference between the old and new platforms is the amount and variety of content you can access. While CBS All Access was limited to content that aired on the CBS network, the new Paramount+ features your favorite CBS series, as well as new and nostalgic selections from BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel.
The new Paramount+ streaming service also provides subscribers with a rotating library of Paramount+ exclusive films and classic Paramount releases. Among the films currently on the platform are the Indiana Jones and Mission Impossible franchises, as well as the newly-released The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run and The Godfather Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone.
Ahead of the Paramount+ launch, ViacomCBS also announced that a selection of new Paramount Pictures would be made available on the streaming platform 35 to 45 days after they premiere in theaters. Releases that will hit the service on this timeline include A Quiet Place 2, Mission: Impossible 7, and Top Gun: Maverick. Meanwhile, other Paramount flicks will hit the online service at a later date.
Paramount+ vs. CBS All Access: Plans
When the platform was known as CBS All Access, subscribers also had the ability to watch live, local CBS channels on both the ad-supported and ad-free tiers. Paramount+ relaunched with the exact same subscription levels. The current Limited Commercials plan costs just $5.99 per month ($60/year), while the No Commercials plan for $9.99 per month ($100/year). Choosing an annual plan can save you over 15% extra on the overall cost, but you'll have to pay for the entire year up-front.
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While there was no change in price when CBS All Access relaunched as Paramount+, ViacomCBS confirmed at the time that the Limited Commercials plan would be replaced with a similar $5 per month plan in June 2021. The biggest change to the new plan won't include access to local CBS programming. However, if you sign up for the $5.99 plan ahead of June, you'll be able to keep that perk moving forward.
If you were already a CBS All Access subscriber ahead of the Paramount+ relaunch, the app and payments should have updated automatically. You may be asked to log in with your existing credentials the first time you use Paramount+, but you shouldn't have problems moving forward. If you've yet to sign up, you can try the Paramount+ free trial.
Keegan Prosser is a freelance contributor based in the PNW. When she's not writing about her favorite streaming apps and devices for Android Central, she's listening to a true-crime podcast, creating the perfect playlist for her next road trip, and trying to figure out which fitness tracker she should try next. You can follow her on Twitter @keeganprosser.