To get ad free Paramount Plus, switch from the Essential tier to the Premium plan or choose an ad free bundle through your billing service.
If you stream a lot of Star Trek, SpongeBob, or Sunday football on Paramount Plus, constant breaks can shred your attention. An ad free plan removes most of that, yet working out how to get it can feel confusing because plan names, bundles, and prices keep changing.
Plan names have merged with Showtime, some accounts are billed through phone or TV providers, and different regions see different plan labels. The result is the same question for many viewers: how do you land on the right ad free Paramount Plus plan without paying more than you need to?
This guide walks you through what ad free Paramount Plus actually means, how the Essential and Premium tiers differ, the exact steps to upgrade on each platform, how bundles and deals fit in, and what to do when you still see ads even though you pay for the ad free tier.
What Ad Free Paramount Plus Really Means
Paramount Plus now runs with two main plans for U.S. subscribers: Paramount+ Essential with ads and Paramount+ Premium with almost no ads on on-demand shows and movies. Both plans sit on top of the same broad library of series, films, and live channels.
The difference lies in ad load and perks. Essential keeps ad breaks before and during on-demand titles. Premium removes ad breaks from most on-demand shows and films, adds the full Showtime catalog, and includes extras such as downloads and higher picture quality on supported devices.
The official Paramount+ plan information page explains that every plan can still show short trailers or promotions at the beginning or end of a stream. Those brief clips promote current or upcoming content or brand partners. Premium removes the standard commercial breaks that interrupt on-demand episodes and movies, but it does not strip ads from live TV or special events.
As of early 2026 in the U.S., Paramount+ lists Essential at around $8.99 per month and Premium at around $13.99 per month, with annual options that reduce the average monthly price. A recent Paramount+ price update article confirms a price rise in January 2026, so numbers can shift again. Always check the current total on the plan selection page before you switch.
To see the difference at a glance, it helps to compare the two main tiers side by side:
| Plan | On-Demand Ads | Live TV Ads |
|---|---|---|
| Paramount+ Essential | Ads before and during most shows and films | Standard commercial breaks |
| Paramount+ Premium | No ads on most on-demand titles; short promos still possible | Standard commercial breaks |
Outside the U.S., Paramount Plus sometimes reshapes the tiers. In the U.K. and Australia, for instance, a Basic plan can sit below Standard or Premium tiers that cut ads from on-demand viewing while keeping commercial breaks on live channels. The core idea stays the same: the cheapest tier keeps full ad breaks, the highest tier removes ad breaks from on-demand titles but leaves live TV alone.
How To Get Ad Free Paramount Plus From Paramount
If you do not have a Paramount Plus account yet, the cleanest way to get ad free viewing is to sign up directly with Paramount+ and choose the Premium tier during checkout. That way you manage your billing in one place and avoid confusion with third-party bundles later.
- Open The Paramount Plus Site — Visit paramountplus.com in a browser on your phone, tablet, or computer.
- Start The Sign Up Flow — Select the button to start a free trial or begin a new subscription, then enter your email address and create a password.
- Pick Paramount+ Premium — On the plan choice screen, choose Paramount+ Premium, the tier that removes ads from most on-demand shows and movies while keeping live TV commercials.
- Choose Monthly Or Annual Billing — Select monthly billing if you want flexibility, or the annual option if you already know you will watch for a full year.
- Add Payment Details — Enter your payment method, check the total, and confirm the subscription. Watch for any free trial note, as switching plans during a trial can end it early.
- Install The Apps You Need — Download the Paramount+ app on your phone, tablet, smart TV, or streaming box, then sign in with the same email and password you just used on the website.
Once your Premium subscription is active, any device signed in with that account should show the higher tier. If you see only the Essential plan on a device, it usually means that device is signed in to an old account or profile that never upgraded.
In some regions, Paramount Plus shows a Basic plan with ads and one or more higher tiers. The names may change, but the same logic applies: pick the tier that describes ad free or ad-light on-demand viewing rather than the entry-level plan that clearly includes ads.
Upgrade An Existing Paramount Plus Account To Premium
If you already pay for Paramount Plus but still sit on Essential or another ad supported tier, you do not need a brand-new account. You can switch to Premium through the same place where you manage your current subscription.
Switch Plans On The Paramount Plus Website
For accounts that started on the Paramount+ website or mobile web, the upgrade tools live on your Account page.
- Go To Your Account Page — In a web browser, sign in at paramountplus.com, select your profile icon in the top corner, then choose Account.
- Find The Subscription Section — Scroll to the Subscription & Billing area where your current plan name and renewal date appear.
- Select Edit Plan — Next to your Paramount+ plan, pick the Edit Plan option to open the list of available tiers.
- Choose Paramount+ Premium — Select Paramount+ Premium as the new plan so that on-demand titles no longer include regular ad breaks.
- Confirm Switch Plan — Review the new price, then select Switch Plan. The change usually takes effect right away, although some accounts switch at the next billing date.
After the change, check the Account page again to confirm that the plan name now shows Premium. If the label still says Essential, refresh the page and make sure the change actually went through.
Upgrade In The Mobile App
Many subscribers start their account from an iOS or Android app. In that case, the upgrade steps begin inside the Paramount+ app but finish in the Apple or Google billing screens.
- Open The Paramount Plus App — Launch the app on your phone or tablet and sign in with the profile that pays for the service.
- Open Account Settings — Tap the More tab or menu icon, then choose Account and Manage Account.
- Select The Premium Tier — On the plan screen, choose the Premium option instead of Essential or Basic.
- Approve The Change — A prompt from the App Store or Google Play appears. Confirm the new price, authenticate with your usual method, and wait for the success message.
Once the app confirms the switch, return to the home screen, close the app, then reopen it. Your plan label in the Account section should now read Premium and on-demand shows should play without mid-roll ads.
Change Plan On Streaming Devices And Smart TVs
If you signed up on a streaming box or smart TV, such as Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, or a built-in smart TV app, the upgrade path starts from the same place where you manage the app on that device.
- Open Settings In The Paramount Plus App — On your TV, open the Paramount+ app, then look for the Settings or gear icon.
- Open My Account Or Manage Account — Choose My Account, then Manage Account to reveal plan options and billing details.
- Pick The Premium Plan — Select the Premium tier from the list so that on-demand viewing moves to the ad free experience.
- Confirm On The Device Store Screen — Your device’s app store or account page (Apple, Roku, Amazon, and so on) will appear. Approve the new subscription price there to finish the upgrade.
After confirmation, restart the app on your TV and test an on-demand show. You should see only a short promo clip at the start, if anything, rather than a sequence of regular ads mid-episode.
When You Signed Up Through Another Company
Plenty of viewers get Paramount Plus through another service such as Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Hulu, a cable box, or a phone plan. In those cases you need to upgrade the plan through that company rather than through Paramount+ itself.
- Amazon Prime Video Channels — Visit Amazon in a browser, open Memberships & Subscriptions, find the Paramount+ channel entry, then choose the option to change the plan and select the ad free tier.
- Apple Subscriptions — On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap your name, choose Subscriptions, tap Paramount+, then switch from the ad supported tier to Premium and confirm the charge.
- Google Play Billing — In the Play Store, tap your profile picture, choose Payments & Subscriptions, pick Paramount+, then pick the higher tier with ad free on-demand streaming.
- Cable Or Internet Bundles — Log in to your provider account, open the area for add-ons, find Paramount+, and see whether it offers both Essential and Premium tiers. If Premium appears, switch plans there and accept the new monthly total.
When in doubt, think back to where you first entered payment details. That original place normally controls upgrades, downgrades, and cancellations, even when you now watch mostly through Paramount+ apps.
Use Bundles And Deals To Get Ad Free Paramount Plus For Less
Ad free Paramount Plus does not always require paying the full standalone price. Discounts and bundles now appear through phone carriers, TV providers, and retail memberships that wrap Paramount+ into their larger package.
Common Ways To Get A Cheaper Ad Free Plan
- Phone Plan Perks — Some T-Mobile lines can add Paramount+ Essential or Paramount+ Premium as an add-on inside the T Life app or the T-Mobile website, sometimes at a reduced rate compared with buying directly. The exact terms depend on the line and promotion attached to it.
- Retail Memberships — Memberships such as Walmart+ have offered Paramount+ Essential as a built-in perk. In setups like that, you can sometimes go to your Paramount+ Account page, upgrade to Premium, and still keep the discount on the base cost that the membership covers.
- Seasonal Sales — Around big shopping seasons, Paramount+ often cuts the price of Essential and Premium for the first few months. A recent Black Friday deal in late 2025, for example, dropped Premium to $2.99 per month for two months before prices rose in 2026.
The catch with bundles is that partners sometimes only include the ad supported tier. In the U.K., Sky Cinema customers moved from an ad free Paramount+ add-on to a Basic plan with ads and no upgrade path from within Sky. In cases like this, the only route to ad free viewing may be cancelling the bundled add-on and then purchasing Paramount+ Premium directly.
Before you jump on any bundle, read the small print to see which tier it actually unlocks, whether you can switch tiers later, and whether your billing transfers back to Paramount+ if the bundle ends.
Stop Ads Showing On Your Ad Free Paramount Plus Plan
One of the most common complaints about Paramount Plus goes like this: “I pay for Premium and still see ads.” In many cases that experience comes from promos, live TV, or a plan mismatch rather than from a broken ad free tier.
Paramount+ explains that every plan can show short trailers or sponsor messages before or after a stream. Those clips usually promote Paramount+ shows or brand partners and may appear even on Premium. What Premium removes on on-demand titles are the regular ad breaks that interrupt the episode itself.
Quick Checks Before You Contact Anyone
- Confirm Your Plan Inside Paramount Plus — Open the Account page in a browser or in the app and check that the plan name includes Premium and not Essential, Basic, or a trial label. If the label still shows Essential, the upgrade never finished.
- Check Whether You Are Watching Live TV — Live CBS channels, live sports, and other live feeds still carry full commercial breaks on Premium because Paramount+ relays the same broadcast feed viewers see on cable.
- Check The Title Page For Showtime Badges — On many devices, Premium adds Showtime branding and extra Showtime titles to the library. If none of those appear on your home screen, the account may still be on Essential.
Fix Cases Where Ads Keep Playing On On-Demand Shows
- Restart The App And Device — Close the Paramount+ app completely, restart your streaming stick, TV, phone, or tablet, then open the app again and test the same episode.
- Log Out Of Extra Profiles — Sign out of Paramount+ on all profiles on that device, then sign back in using the main profile that owns the Premium subscription.
- Refresh The Subscription From Your Store Account — On Apple devices, open Settings, tap your name, choose Subscriptions, and confirm that Paramount+ shows the Premium tier. If it does not, change the plan there first, then reopen the Paramount+ app and let it sync.
- Update Or Reinstall The App — Install the latest version of the Paramount+ app from your device’s app store, then sign in again and try a different on-demand title.
- Check Your Billing Emails — Look through recent emails from Paramount+, Apple, Amazon, Hulu, or your phone or TV provider and confirm which plan you actually pay for and when it renewed.
- Contact The Company That Bills You — If your billing record clearly shows Premium but you still see full ad breaks during on-demand episodes, reach out to the billing company’s customer service team through chat, email, or phone and ask them to refresh the Paramount+ entitlement on your account.
Sticking to these checks usually makes it clear whether the ads come from live programming, a device glitch, or a plan that never upgraded properly.
Decide Whether Ad Free Paramount Plus Is Worth The Upgrade
Once you know how to reach Premium, the last step is deciding whether the extra monthly cost earns its place in your streaming budget. That answer depends on how you watch and who shares the account with you.
On the ad supported Essential plan, viewers tend to see around three to five minutes of ads per hour of on-demand streaming. Those clips include pre-roll spots before a show starts and mid-roll breaks during the episode. Live TV follows a longer commercial pattern similar to cable, no matter which tier you choose.
Reasons To Move Up To Premium
- You Watch A Lot Of Series — Heavy binge watching turns a few minutes of ads per episode into many extra hours each month, so stripping ad breaks from on-demand viewing can save real time.
- You Hate Mid-Episode Breaks — Dramas, comedies, and live-action kids shows often feel smoother when mid-roll ad blocks disappear and scenes flow naturally.
- You Want Showtime Titles And Extras — Premium unlocks the full Showtime catalog along with downloads and higher resolution streams on supported devices, which expands the library far beyond the base tier.
- You Share The Account — Families or shared households put more hours on the service each day, so getting rid of ad breaks across several profiles often feels like a stronger upgrade.
Reasons To Stay On Essential Or Another Ad Tier
- You Only Watch Live Sports Or News — Live channels show commercials even on Premium, so an upgrade will not change those breaks during games or news broadcasts.
- You Dip In For One Or Two Shows — If you only stream a single series every so often, paying extra each month for Premium may not match your actual viewing time.
- You Already Carry Several Streaming Bills — When your entertainment budget feels tight, keeping the cheaper tier and living with some ads can be smarter than stretching to another upgrade.
- You Get Paramount Plus As A Free Perk — If a phone plan, internet bundle, or membership gives you Essential at no extra charge, cancelling that perk just to pay full price for Premium may not feel like a good swap.
There is no single right answer for every viewer. Some households gladly swap a few extra dollars per month for cleaner binge sessions and a bigger library, while others prefer to keep Paramount Plus as a light, ad supported add-on alongside other services.
Quick Tips For A Smooth Ad Free Streaming Experience
Once you land on Premium, a few small habits can make Paramount Plus feel smoother day to day and help you get the most from the ad free tier.
- Download Episodes Before Trips — Use the download option on phones and tablets so you can watch on planes, trains, or long drives without buffering or data worries.
- Set Up Multiple Profiles — Create separate profiles for kids and adults so recommendations stay tidy and everyone lands on their own watchlist when they open the app.
- Use Watchlists To Queue Shows — Add the series and films you care about to your watchlist so you can jump straight into them next time instead of scrolling through endless rows.
- Check Device Limits — If you get a message about too many streams at once, sign out on devices you no longer use so your main screens always connect without trouble.
When you understand how Paramount Plus splits its plans and where to change them, the path to ad free streaming becomes far clearer. Pick the right tier for your region, upgrade through the company that bills you, and keep an eye on plan labels and prices, and you can watch almost all on-demand shows and movies with no commercial breaks in the middle.