Business·Feature

Paramount+ raises UK prices as combined streaming bills near £2,000 a year

Paramount+ will raise all three UK subscription tiers from August 27, lifting Standard and Premium bills by £24 a year as households stack streaming services.

Published: August 19, 2026·Updated: August 29, 2026

What changes and by how much

High-tech video camera setup in modern studio environment, showcasing professional equipment for filming.

Paramount+ will raise prices across all three of its UK subscription tiers from August 27, with increases of 20% on Basic with Ads, 25% on Standard and roughly 18.2% on Premium, lifting the monthly cost of those tiers to £5.99, £9.99 and £12.99 respectively. Standard and Premium subscribers will each pay an extra £24 a year if they stay on the same tier, adding to the running total of subscription increases households have absorbed over recent years.

How the combined bill could approach £2,000

The Paramount+ rise comes as many homes pay for multiple streaming services at once. An illustrative "high-end basket" combining Netflix Premium, Disney+ Premium, Paramount+ Premium, Apple TV+ Standard, Amazon Prime, NOW Entertainment, NOW Cinema, NOW Sports and the full TNT Sports package adds up to £151.91 a month, or £1,822.92 a year before the BBC TV licence. Adding the £180 annual licence fee brings the total to £2,002.92, illustrating how repeated price moves across the market can push household spending well above any single subscription's listed price.

Where bundling can reshape the picture

Bundles that combine pay-TV with streaming can keep the combined bill below the sum of separate subscriptions. Sky's Ultimate TV package includes Sky TV alongside Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max and Hayu, EE TV combines TV and broadband with Netflix, NOW and sports add-ons, and Virgin Media offers bundles that include Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, Sky Sports and TNT Sports. Bundle contents and promotional terms vary, so the headline savings depend on what is included at sign-up or renewal.

What remains uncertain

The article's annual figure is illustrative, based on a defined basket of full-price subscriptions rather than average household spending, and the £2,000 threshold is reached only once the BBC licence fee is added. Reporting cites GBNews for the £24 annual increase calculation, while the wider basket breakdown is presented as an example of how stacked rises compound; actual spending will vary with bundle choices, promotions and any service changes.