Paramount+ Advertising for Lawyers: CBS Streaming and Sports

Paramount+ is the streaming arm of Paramount Global — the company behind CBS, MTV, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, and BET. It's also the parent of Pluto TV, the major FAST platform, giving Paramount a unique position spanning premium subscription streaming and free ad-supported content.

For law firms, Paramount+ offers something increasingly rare in streaming: genuinely accessible entry points for advertisers, with CPMs starting as low as $7 through their self-service platform.

Paramount+ by the Numbers

The platform has grown into a significant streaming player:

Metric	Value	Source
Global subscribers	~72 million	Industry estimates, 2025
Q3 2025 streaming revenue	$2.17 billion	Paramount earnings
YoY streaming growth	+17%	Paramount Q3 2025
Content library	40,000+ episodes	Paramount
Monthly subscription (Essential)	$7.99 (rising to $8.99 Jan 2026)	Paramount

Streaming accounted for over 80% of Paramount's direct-to-consumer revenue in Q3 2025. The company is betting its future on Paramount+ as traditional TV advertising revenue declined 12% year-over-year in the same quarter.

The Content Library

Paramount+ draws from a deep well of content properties:

Sports:

• NFL on CBS (live games)
• UEFA Champions League, Europa League
• March Madness (NCAA tournament)
• Big Ten football
• Serie A soccer (Italy)
• PGA Tour golf
• UFC (exclusive streaming beginning 2026 — $7.7 billion, 7-year deal)

CBS programming:

• NCIS franchise
• Fire Country
• Survivor
• CBS News (24/7)
• 60 Minutes

Cable network content:

• MTV (reality programming)
• Nickelodeon (kids content)
• Comedy Central (South Park — exclusive beginning 2025)
• BET
• Paramount Network (Yellowstone universe)

Originals:

• Star Trek franchise (Discovery, Strange New Worlds, etc.)
• Taylor Sheridan content (various Yellowstone spinoffs)
• 1883, 1923, Lioness

The sports inventory is particularly notable. The UFC deal announced in August 2025 makes Paramount+ the exclusive streaming home for all UFC events starting 2026 — that's premium combat sports inventory that attracts engaged, predominantly male audiences.

CPM Ranges and Costs

Paramount+ offers some of the most accessible premium streaming advertising rates:

Paramount Ads Manager (self-service):

• CPMs starting at $7
• No massive minimum spend requirements
• Access to Paramount+, CBS, Pluto TV, BET, MTV inventory

Programmatic/agency buying:

• $20-30 CPMs typical range
• Similar to Peacock and Hulu
• Premium sports inventory commands higher rates

The $7 CPM floor through Paramount Ads Manager is remarkable for premium inventory. For comparison, Netflix runs $37+ and Hulu $30-35. This pricing reflects Paramount's strategy to attract small and medium-sized advertisers who've been priced out of premium streaming.

At launch, Paramount+ asked for $22-27 CPMs — competitive with Hulu and Roku at the time. The introduction of Paramount Ads Manager in recent years opened lower price points for self-service buyers.

Paramount Ads Manager

Paramount's self-service advertising platform deserves special attention for law firms:

What it offers:

• CPMs starting at $7
• Access to Paramount+, CBS, Pluto TV, BET, MTV
• Full-screen, unskippable ad formats
• High completion rates
• Straightforward targeting and campaign setup
• Real-time performance metrics

Why it matters: Most premium streaming advertising requires either significant minimum commitments or agency relationships. Paramount Ads Manager lets smaller advertisers — including regional law firms — access premium inventory directly.

According to Paramount's own measurement analytics team, CTV budgets typically comprise 15-30% of overall marketing spend. They recommend treating CTV budget "like a learning tool" — consistent investment over months rather than short bursts.

Comparison to social: Paramount claims that applying cost-per-completed-view standards to social media platforms would show CPMs "400-500% more expensive" than their CTV inventory. While that's a seller's pitch, it highlights the efficiency argument for streaming versus social video.

Subscription Tiers and Advertising

Paramount+ operates two main tiers:

Tier	Price (Jan 2026)	Ads	Content
Essential	$8.99/mo	Yes	Full library + live sports (no local CBS)
Premium	$13.99/mo	Limited (live TV/sports only)	Full library + SHOWTIME + local CBS + downloads

For advertisers, this means:

• Essential tier subscribers see ads throughout on-demand content
• Premium subscribers still see ads during live TV and sports (those are part of the broadcast feed)
• Sports inventory carries ads regardless of subscription tier

The Essential tier is where most advertising inventory lives. Premium reduces ad exposure for on-demand content but maintains it for the highest-attention programming: live sports and news.

The Pluto TV Connection

Paramount owns both Paramount+ (premium) and Pluto TV (FAST), creating a unique advertising opportunity:

Pluto TV stats:

• 80+ million monthly active users
• Linear channel-based experience (200+ channels)
• CPMs around $12-22
• Owned by same parent company

Strategic implications: Through Paramount Ads Manager, advertisers can access both platforms — running premium inventory on Paramount+ and value/reach plays on Pluto TV through a single buying interface.

CEO David Ellison indicated in August 2025 that a "soft merger" of Paramount+ and Pluto TV infrastructure could happen within 12-18 months, while maintaining distinct consumer-facing brands. For advertisers, this could mean even more unified buying across premium and FAST inventory.

Sports Inventory Deep Dive

Sports is Paramount+'s competitive advantage for law firm advertising:

NFL on CBS:

• Live regular season games
• Playoff games
• Super Bowl rotation (CBS had Super Bowl LVIII in 2024)
• Highly engaged, attentive audiences

UEFA Champions League:

• Premier European soccer
• Multiple matches weekly during season
• Growing US audience for soccer

UFC (beginning 2026):

• $7.7 billion, 7-year deal
• Exclusive streaming for all events
• Predominantly male, 18-49 audience
• High engagement during fight nights

Why sports matters for PI: Live sports delivers attention that on-demand content can't match. People watch games in real-time, including commercials. The demographic skew (adults 25-54, homeowners, drivers) aligns with PI targeting.

Targeting Capabilities

Paramount Ads Manager and programmatic access offer:

Demographic:

• Age, gender, household income
• Education level
• Family composition

Geographic:

• National, DMA, zip code
• State and regional targeting

Behavioral/interest:

• Content genre preferences
• Viewing behavior signals
• Cross-platform data (Paramount+, Pluto TV, CBS)

Contextual:

• Sports vs. entertainment vs. news
• Specific show/content alignment
• Daypart targeting

The combination of Paramount's first-party data across multiple platforms enables targeting that smaller streaming services can't match.

Ad Formats and Experience

Standard video ads:

• :15 and :30 lengths
• Pre-roll and mid-roll positions
• Full-screen, non-skippable

Ad load: Paramount+ Essential runs approximately 3-5 minutes of ads per hour — lighter than Hulu (8-10 minutes) but more than Netflix's ad tier (3-4 minutes). This moderate ad load balances advertiser reach with viewer experience.

Completion rates: Full-screen, non-skippable formats deliver 95%+ completion rates — dramatically higher than skippable digital video.

Paramount+ vs. Competitors

How does Paramount+ stack up for law firm advertising?

Factor	Paramount+	Peacock	Hulu	Tubi
Self-service CPM floor	$7	N/A	N/A	~$15
Programmatic CPM	$20-30	$25-30	$30-35	$15-25
Live Sports	NFL, UEFA, UFC (2026)	NFL, NBA, EPL	Limited	None
FAST sibling	Pluto TV (owned)	None	None	N/A (is FAST)
Subscribers	~72M	41M	50M+	Free
Content strength	Sports + Yellowstone universe	Sports + NBC	Next-day network	Library

Choose Paramount+ when:

• Self-service access matters (Paramount Ads Manager)
• Budget requires lower CPM entry points
• Sports inventory (especially NFL, future UFC) aligns with your audience
• You want to run Paramount+ and Pluto TV together

Consider alternatives when:

• Maximum scale matters most (Hulu, YouTube)
• NBC content and Sunday Night Football (Peacock)
• Amazon purchase data for targeting (Freevee/Prime Video)

Practical Considerations

Creative requirements:

• Standard CTV specs (1080p minimum)
• :15 and :30 lengths
• H.264 MP4 format
• Audio at broadcast standards

What works on Paramount+:

Paramount+ skews slightly younger than some competitors due to MTV, Comedy Central, and Nick content. But sports audiences trend more broadly across demographics. Creative should consider whether you're running in sports inventory (engaged, real-time viewing) versus entertainment (more casual).

The platform's accessible pricing means you might test different creative approaches without massive budget commitment.

Attribution and measurement:

Standard CTV metrics apply — completion rates, reach, frequency, website visits, search lift. Paramount's measurement team recommends consistent investment over months to gather meaningful data rather than expecting immediate results from short campaigns.

The UFC Opportunity (2026)

Worth calling out separately: Paramount+'s exclusive UFC streaming rights beginning 2026 create a unique opportunity.

UFC audience characteristics:

• Predominantly male (though female viewership growing)
• 18-49 core demographic
• High engagement during events
• Sports betting crossover audience
• Passionate, loyal fanbase

For PI firms: UFC viewers are exactly the demographic many PI firms target — adults who are active, take physical risks, drive, and may be more likely to experience injuries. The live event format commands attention.

This inventory won't be cheap — $7.7 billion over 7 years suggests premium pricing. But for firms with budget to invest in high-attention sports inventory, UFC exclusivity on Paramount+ starting 2026 is worth watching.

The Bottom Line

Paramount+ offers law firms something unusual in premium streaming: genuinely accessible entry points.

The $7 CPM floor through Paramount Ads Manager means regional firms can test premium CTV without massive budget commitments. The sports inventory (NFL now, UFC coming in 2026) delivers high-attention audiences. And the Pluto TV connection enables reach plays alongside premium.

The platform's subscriber base (72M) trails the leaders, but Paramount's multi-platform approach — premium streaming, FAST, broadcast — creates advertising flexibility that pure-play streamers can't match.

For firms new to CTV or operating on tighter budgets, Paramount Ads Manager deserves consideration as an entry point into premium streaming advertising.

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