Walmart+, the retailer’s Prime competitor, will add Paramount+ access as a new perk

techcrunch.com:

Walmart is partnering with Paramount Global to offer its streaming service, Paramount+, to members of Walmart’s own free shipping program and Amazon Prime rival, Walmart+. The deal was first confirmed by The Wall Street Journal on Monday afternoon, following recent news of the retailer’s discussions with major media companies about such an arrangement.

Walmart has now officially announced the news of its agreement but did not say when access to the steaming service would roll out to Walmart+ members. (Update: Walmart disclosed on its earnings call after this news was released that the subscription will roll out in September.)

However, the retailer said the deal will see Walmart+ members gaining access to Paramount+ Essential Plan subscription — an added $59 value — while its own membership pricing would stay the same. (Typically, the Essential Plan is $4.99/month.)

Introduced in September 2020, the $98 per year Walmart+ subscription includes a variety of benefits, including free same-day delivery, fuel discounts, free shipping from Walmart.com, in-home delivery, contact-free checkout with scan & go and early access to deals. Walmart also has a partnership with Spotify to offer members six months of Spotify Premium for free.

In addition to the annual fee, consumers can opt to pay for Walmart+ at a rate of $12.95 per month for the same perks.

Last week, The New York Times reported Walmart had been in discussions with several major media companies about a possible bundle deal with Walmart+. According to The NYT, Walmart had spoken to Paramount, Disney and Comcast about bundling its shipping membership program with either Paramount+, Disney+/ESPN+/Hulu or Peacock, respectively.

Walmart is reportedly looking at deals with streaming