US retailer Walmart Inc on Monday struck a deal with Paramount Universal Inc to offer its Paramount Plus streaming service to subscribers of its loyalty program to better compete with Amazon.com Inc.
Members of Walmart+ will get Paramount’s “Basic” plan, which costs $4.99 per month, including ads. It also offers an ad-free service for $9.99 per month.
Paramount+ offers original series and hit movies from brands and production studios, including BET, Comedy Central and Nickelodeon, and multiple sports leagues, including the UEFA Champions League.
A Walmart+ membership costs $12.95 a month or $98 a year and includes free shipping on orders, fuel discounts, and a six-month subscription to Spotify‘s premium music service.
The service rivals Amazon’s Prime, offering free shipping, video and music streaming and has about 200 million users. Amazon Prime membership costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year.
According to various estimates from companies, including Consumer Intelligence Partners and Deutsche Bank, Walmart’s subscription service has between 11 million and 32 million members starting in 2020.
Walmart did not disclose the number of Walmart+ subscribers.
Last week, the New York Times reported that executives from Paramount, The Walt Disney Co and Comcast Corp. have recently discussed with Walmart about including streaming entertainment into their membership services.