The plethora of available streaming services have nearly replaced cable at this point. With so many options to choose from, it's difficult to decide which services are worthy of your time and money.There are the streaming pioneers, like Netflix and Hulu. Then, there are smaller streaming services that either have less content or more niche content, like Crunchyroll or BritBox. So, where does Paramount+ fit into the mix and does it deserve your money?Let's take a look at seven reasons why you shouldn't subscribe to Paramount+.
1. Not Enough Exclusive Content
When it comes to choosing a subscription service to spend your money on, the biggest deciding factor is which content you can exclusively watch on that service. Now, we're not talking original content, but simply exclusive content.
For example, Seinfeld is exclusive to Netflix, but it has previously been exclusive to Hulu. Paramount+ doesn't have many shows that you can only watch on its service besides its original content, like the new iCarly or Star Trek: Discovery.
There's also a lot of content on Paramount+ that you can find on other streaming services. Take NCIS as an example; on Paramount+, you can watch the first 19 seasons of the show, but you can also watch the first 15 seasons on Netflix. Or how about Young Sheldon? You can catch the newest season on Paramount+, or you can watch the whole show on HBO Max. Even the older iCarly episodes aren't exclusive to Paramount+ because they're also on Netflix.
2. Content You Expect to Be There Isn’t
There's an exciting library of content under the ViacomCBS umbrella, but not all of it made it to Paramount+ and there's no way of knowing if it'll be arriving in the future. A few of the biggest networks under ViacomCBS include Nickelodeon, MTV, Comedy Central, BET, CBS, and of course, Paramount.
While some content that was missing at the launch of Paramount+ is finally there, like all of NCIS and CSI: NY, other content you'd expect to see is still missing—Here's Lucy, South Park, Just Jordan, and more.
3. The “Keep Watching” Section Needs Work
This is a minor flaw with Paramount+, but deserves mentioning nonetheless. Whether you're watching on your phone, a TV, or a computer, the content in your "Keep Watching" section doesn't allow you to view TV show or movie details.
When you click on the show or movie, it automatically starts playing the content, which is what you'd want to happen. But with other streaming services, like Netflix, there are options underneath each show or movie that allow you to view information, more episodes, and even remove content from your "Keep Watching" section.
This seems like it should be a minor fix for Paramount+, but it's something the streaming service hasn't addressed.
4. Original Episodes Debut Weekly
We've got used to getting all our content at once in one, big, bingeable chunk. Although waiting every week to watch the next episode of your favorite show used to be the norm, it isn't anymore. Newer series typically have fewer episodes, like eight or ten episodes, but they're available to watch all at once.
Paramount+ Originals debut weekly, which inevitably means that sometimes you forget you're watching the show. Of course, you could just wait for all the episodes to come out before you start watching, but if it's something you really want to see, you want to watch it right away.
In today's world, maybe it's a good practice in patience to wait for the next episode every week. But sometimes, you just want to spend an entire night with the whole season of a show, and you can't do that with new Paramount+ original episodes.
5. Some Shows Are Missing Seasons
Unfortunately, not all shows on Paramount+ feature the complete series. One of the biggest examples would be Young Sheldon, which only has its newest season on Paramount+. If you want to catch the beginning of the show (or Big Bang Theory), you'll have to subscribe to HBO Max.
There's also MTV Cribs, which includes quite a few episodes, but they're all random and the entire series isn't complete by any means. Many seasons of MTV Cribs on Paramount+ only have one or two episodes.
Paramount+ is also missing seasons or episodes of shows like RuPaul's Drag Race and Drake & Josh.
6. Too Many Ads
Most of us are no stranger to services having a more expensive, ad-free option and a more affordable option with ads. Hulu and HBO Max are two of the most common streaming services with different pay tiers with and without ads.
However, the limited ad plan through Paramount+ plays countless ads. There are more commercial breaks per show than compared to Hulu or HBO Max and each break lasts longer too. Some commercial breaks on Paramount+ last for about five minutes.
And you might think you could get away from ads by upgrading to Premium, but that's not entirely true.
7. There Are Still Ads For Premium Subscribers
Paramount+ has two subscription plans to choose from: Essential and Premium. The Essential plan costs $4.99 per month or $49.99 per year and has limited ads and no local live CBS station. The Premium plan costs $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year and has a local live CBS station and no ads (except those on live TV).
Unfortunately, the Premium plan still shows ads for Paramount+ original content. The company says that it wants to keep you apprised of what the service has to offer and make sure you're in the loop, but it's just annoying, especially when it's the same ad repeatedly when you're trying to binge a show. These Paramount+ ads aren't skippable either.
Is Paramount+ Worth Your Money?
Although there are a few good reasons to subscribe to Paramount+, this streaming service ultimately doesn't stack up next to more developed and prominent services like Netflix, Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max.
There's a good chance that Paramount+ may improve greatly over the next few years. That is, unless they rebrand themselves yet again under a different name and reinvent the service completely (Paramount+ was previously titled CBS All Access). Right now, there are better streaming services out there that are more worthy of your hard-earned money.