Walmart To Offer Free Paramount+ Subscription With Its Membership Service

U.S. retail giant Walmart on Monday announced it will begin offering Paramount+ subscription in its membership program to compete with its rival Amazon.

Starting September, members of Walmart's membership program will get access to an ad-supported Paramount+ Essential plan. The plan is regularly priced at $4.99 per month, but it will be added to Walmart's Plus subscription, which costs $12.95 a month, at no extra charge. The retailer's membership program also gives subscribers free shipping on orders, a discount on fuel and a free six-month subscription to Spotify's Premium music service.

The Essential subscription will not include local live CBS stations, which are only available in the Paramount+ Premium subscription costing $9.99 per month. However, Paramount+ Essential subscribers will gain access to a range of original series and popular movies from BET, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon. The plan would also include access to several sporting leagues, including NFL and UEFA Champions League.

"With the addition of Paramount+, we are demonstrating our unique ability to help members save even more and live better by delivering entertainment for less, too. Eighty-five percent of U.S. households use streaming services1 and Paramount+ has the premium content and broad appeal that our members are looking for – like Walmart, they have something for everyone. We're excited about the launch and what comes next for Walmart+," Chris Cracchiolo, senior vice president and general manager of Walmart+, said in a press release published on the retailer's website.

Walmart's partnership with Paramount+ is part of the retailer's efforts to rival Amazon's Prime membership, which also offers video and music streaming services to its subscribers. Amazon's Prime currently has around 200 million subscribers. In comparison, Walmart's Plus has between 11 million and 32 million members, according to varied estimates from multiple firms, according to Reuters.

Rumors of a possible partnership between Walmart and several streaming services first emerged last week when The New York Times reported that the retailer held discussions with major media companies, including Paramount, Disney and Comcast.

Paramount runs the Paramount+ and Showtime streaming services. Disney owns and operates Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu. Comcast operates the Peacock streaming service.