Paramount Plus on DIRECTV: Channel 545, Price and App Setup

Quick Answer: Paramount Plus has no channel number on DIRECTV, because it is a streaming app. What DIRECTV sells is Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, which starts at channel 545 and costs $13.99 a month plus tax. That add-on also unlocks the Paramount+ app on its Premium plan at no extra charge.

That last part is the one many people miss. If you pay DIRECTV for the add-on and also pay Paramount for the app, you are paying twice. Below are the channel numbers, the real cost of each route, and the sign-in steps. Every figure was checked on 8 October 2026 against DIRECTV’s and Paramount’s own pages.

What channel is Paramount Plus on DIRECTV?

Three different things carry the Paramount name, and only two of them have a channel number. DIRECTV uses one national channel map, so these numbers are the same in every state.

What it is	DIRECTV channel (national)	How you get it
Paramount+ with SHOWTIME, main channel	545	A paid add-on, or part of the PREMIER and LO MAXIMO packages
The rest of the SHOWTIME block, which includes TMC and FLIX	546 to 556	Comes with the same add-on
Paramount Network	241	A regular cable channel. It is not the streaming service
The Paramount+ app	No channel number	Opens from the Apps menu on a Gemini box, or on a phone, smart TV or streaming stick

Paramount Network on channel 241 is a normal cable channel with a fixed schedule. Paramount+ is the app, where you pick the show and press play. Having one does not give you the other. To see which package carries channel 241, open our full DIRECTV channel lineup.

How much does Paramount Plus cost with DIRECTV?

There are four ways to end up with Paramount+ in a DIRECTV home. The right-hand column is our own sum for the first 12 months, so you can compare them fairly.

Way to get it	Monthly price	What you get	First 12 months
DIRECTV add-on, Paramount+ with SHOWTIME	$13.99 plus tax. On 8 October 2026 DIRECTV offered $6.99 plus tax for the first 3 months	Channels 545 to 556, SHOWTIME On Demand, and the Paramount+ app on the Premium plan	$146.88 plus tax with the offer, or $167.88 plus tax without it
Paramount+ Premium, bought from Paramount	$13.99	The app only, on the ad-free plan	$167.88
Paramount+ Essential, bought from Paramount	$8.99	The app only, with ads	$107.88
DIRECTV PREMIER or LO MAXIMO package	Included	The same as the add-on	No extra charge

Worth knowing: DIRECTV does not publish the tax, because it depends on where you live. Find the Paramount+ with SHOWTIME line on your bill to see your exact figure. DIRECTV’s page gives no end date for the 3 month offer. When the 3 months are up, the add-on renews at $13.99 a month until you cancel.

Paramount also sells yearly plans. When it set its January 2026 prices, the yearly figures were reported as $89.99 for Essential and $139.99 for Premium (PCWorld, 12 November 2025). We could not see the yearly prices on Paramount’s own page on our check date, so confirm them there before you pay.

Which route makes sense for you?

Your situation	Best pick	Why
You have DIRECTV and want Paramount+ without ads	The DIRECTV add-on	It costs the same $13.99 as Premium from Paramount, and you also get the SHOWTIME channels on your TV. Tax is the only extra
You only want the app and ads do not bother you	Essential from Paramount	It is $5 a month cheaper, which is about $60 a year
You have PREMIER or LO MAXIMO	Nothing to buy	The add-on is already in your package. Link your account with the steps below
You already pay Paramount and also have the add-on	Keep one, cancel the other	Both give you the same Premium app

Thinking about Peacock as well? Our guide to Peacock on DIRECTV covers its price and how to add it.

How do you sign in to the Paramount+ app with a DIRECTV login?

You need the add-on, or a package that includes it, before you start. DIRECTV also says the app only works when your local CBS station is part of your DIRECTV subscription.

1. On a computer or a phone browser, go to paramountplus.com/link. DIRECTV says this step works on the web only, not inside the TV app.
2. Pick DIRECTV from the list of TV providers. DIRECTV STREAM and U-verse customers pick their own name.
3. Sign in with your DIRECTV user ID and password.
4. Create a Paramount+ login with an email address and a password.
5. Open the Paramount+ app on your TV, phone or tablet and sign in with that new email and password.

Note: DIRECTV allows one Paramount+ account for each DIRECTV account holder. If you already pay Paramount with the same email, DIRECTV’s advice is to cancel that plan first. Then either sign up with a different email right away, or wait until the paid period ends and link with the same email.

How do you add Paramount+ with SHOWTIME to your DIRECTV plan?

Sign in at directv.com and add it from DIRECTV’s Paramount+ with SHOWTIME page, where the current offer is shown. To cancel later, DIRECTV says to use directv.com or call 1-800-531-5000. Cancel before the 3 month offer ends if you only wanted the lower price.

How do you get the Paramount+ app on a DIRECTV Gemini box?

A Gemini is DIRECTV’s newer receiver, the box that also runs streaming apps. It needs an internet connection. These are the steps from DIRECTV’s support page.

1. Press APPS on the Gemini voice remote.
2. Choose Get more apps on Google Play Store.
3. Sign in to your Google account if the box asks. You only do this once.
4. Search for Paramount+ and download it.
5. Open the app and sign in with your Paramount+ email and password.

No Gemini? The same Paramount+ login works in the app on a smart TV, a streaming stick, a phone or a tablet.

What if you would rather buy Paramount+ from Paramount?

This is the route for the cheaper Essential plan. The DIRECTV add-on comes with Premium only. On 8 October 2026 the Paramount+ site showed no free trial. Paramount said in late 2025 that it was retiring them.

Start at paramountplus.com and press the sign-up button.

Choose Essential or Premium, then monthly or yearly billing.

Type your name, email and a password, then press Continue to reach the payment page.

Add a payment method and you are in. If you do not have DIRECTV at all, our guide to Paramount+ on other TV providers explains where you may already have it.

Paramount Plus not working on DIRECTV?

Problem	Likely fix
The link page will not accept your DIRECTV login	Check that Paramount+ with SHOWTIME is on your plan and that your package includes CBS. Do the linking in a web browser, not in the TV app
It says your email already has an account	Cancel the old Paramount+ plan. Use a different email now, or wait for the old plan to end and link with the same one
Channel 545 says you are not subscribed	The add-on is not active. Look for it on your bill or in your account at directv.com
There is no Paramount+ in the Gemini Apps list	Press APPS, open the Google Play Store and download it
The picture keeps stopping to load	Close and reopen the app, then restart your internet router
You see two Paramount charges each month	You have the DIRECTV add-on and a plan bought from Paramount. Keep one

Not sure which number a channel is on in your home? The TVProz channel number finder looks it up by provider.

Last checked: 8 October 2026. Sources: DIRECTV’s Paramount+ with SHOWTIME offer page, the DIRECTV Insider guide of 17 September 2026, DIRECTV’s support pages on account linking and Gemini apps, and paramountplus.com. Prices and offers can change, so confirm the figure on DIRECTV’s page before you add it.