Today, Paramount announced their 1st quater 2026 earnings, and it showed strong growth with Paramount+ adding 700,000 net subscribers in the first quarter of 2026 and achieving a 17 percent increase in revenue. This performance underscores the streaming service’s expanding appeal to audiences worldwide as Paramount Skydance Corporation reported its quarterly financial results.
The direct-to-consumer segment, which prominently features Paramount+, saw its revenue climb to 2.4 billion dollars, marking an 11 percent rise from the previous year. Within this, Paramount+ specifically generated 1.974 billion dollars in revenue, reflecting the 17 percent growth. Factors contributing to this uptick include a 14 percent increase in average revenue per user and the overall subscriber base expansion. At the end of the quarter, Paramount+ boasted a total of 79.6 million subscribers, representing a 2 percent year-over-year increase.
The net subscriber addition of 700,000 came after underlying gross additions reached 1.9 million. This figure was partially tempered by the strategic decision to exit over one million international subscribers tied to hard bundle arrangements. Such moves are part of broader efforts to optimize the subscriber mix and focus on higher-value users while maintaining momentum in core markets.
Beyond subscriber metrics, Paramount+ is benefiting from several strategic initiatives. The company is advancing the convergence of its streaming technology stack, with a unified platform launch planned for the middle of 2026. This integration aims to deliver a more personalized viewing experience, enhanced content discovery, and improved monetization opportunities across its services. Additional content libraries are also being folded in, including a major influx from BET+ slated for early summer that will add more than 1,000 hours of programming and broaden the platform’s demographic reach.
Sports programming has emerged as a powerful growth engine. Paramount+ now offers approximately 14,000 hours of live and on-demand sports content, with UFC events proving especially effective at drawing new and younger viewers. Data from the quarter shows strong household engagement with UFC programming, resulting in subscribers who skew significantly younger than the average user base and exhibit higher overall activity levels on the platform.
The company is simultaneously refreshing its free ad-supported streaming television service, Pluto TV, with the most substantial update in nearly a decade. Built on the Paramount+ technology foundation, this overhaul will introduce advanced personalization features that enhance user retention and advertising efficiency without diluting the core paid subscription model.
On the financial side, the direct-to-consumer operations achieved a positive adjusted EBITDA of 251 million dollars in the quarter, representing a 10 percent margin. This marks a substantial improvement from a loss position in the same period last year, highlighting progress toward sustainable profitability in streaming through disciplined content investment and operational efficiencies.
For the broader Paramount Skydance Corporation, total revenues reached 7.3 billion dollars, up 2 percent year-over-year. Adjusted EBITDA grew 59 percent to 1.2 billion dollars. The company maintained its full-year 2026 guidance, projecting total revenues of 30 billion dollars and adjusted EBITDA of 3.8 billion dollars, with expectations for accelerated direct-to-consumer revenue and profit growth.
As the streaming market matures, Paramount+ appears well-positioned with its combination of subscriber growth, revenue momentum, and forward-looking investments in technology and content. The focus on streamlining operations while expanding premium offerings and sports rights positions the service for continued acceleration in both revenue and profitability throughout the remainder of 2026 and beyond. This balanced approach reflects a maturing business model that prioritizes long-term value over short-term subscriber volume in an industry undergoing rapid transformation.
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