Paramount+ With Showtime Debuts: Everything You Need To Know

Jill Goldsmith
·3 min read
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Starting today, Paramount+ is the new streaming home of Showtime, the latest in a string of moves at major media companies looking to integrate their offerings to boost engagement and reduce churn.

The launch adds Showtime’s edgier programming to the Paramount+ library for $11.99 a month. Paramount+ lives on without Showtime in a $5.99 Essential Plan.

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“By adopting the boundary-pushing programming of Showtime onto our platform, Paramount+ has fortified itself as the ultimate total household destination in streaming,” said Tom Ryan, President & CEO, Paramount Streaming. “Together, these powerhouse brands will showcase the breadth and depth of our content offering from across Paramount. At this price point, we’ll put the value of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan up against any other.”

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The moves comes just over a month after Warner Bros. Discovery added Discovery+ streaming content to HBO Max and changed its name to just Max. Discovery+ remains a standalone service.

“From Yellowjackets to George & Tammy, Showtime is synonymous with provocative, edgy and sophisticated series that perfectly complement the blockbuster, mass appealing original shows, movies and live sports that Paramount+ delivers,” said Chris McCarthy, President & CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks. Together, they provide “a compelling and comprehensive set of content for the entire household.”

Yellowjackets ranked as the highest Showtime driver of starts and consumption, followed by Your Honor, on Paramount+ since the two were offered in a bundle, the company said. The decision to integrate Showtime into Paramount+ was based on data showing customers of the current Paramount+/Showtime bundle watch 40% more titles than subscribers with the standalone Paramount+ plan, and spend about 20% more time on Paramount+.

Upcoming Showtime season and series premieres scheduled for the streamer include Billions, The Chi, The Curse, Fellow Travelers, A Gentleman in Moscow, and The Woman in the Wall. Subscribers will have access to Dexter, George & Tammy and others.

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Existing Paramount+ Premium subscribers automatically receive access to Showtime. New customers get a 30-day free trial through July 12.

Both plans feature Paramount originals, series, franchises and movies across BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. There’s the Taylor Sheridan universe — 1883, 1923 and Tulsa King — as well as Star Trek, SpongeBob SquarePants and RuPaul’s Drag Race, films Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves and Scream VI, series NCIS, PAW Patrol and Sheridan’s Special Ops: Lioness.

Sports offering include the NFL on CBS and soccer matches a year anchored by the UEFA Champions League.

The Showtime linear channel remains as is, for now. “In the future, the linear channel will also be rebranded to Paramount+ with Showtime with a selection of titles from both. Internationally, Showtime content is already included on Paramount+. In January, parent Paramount Global announced plans for a broad integration between Paramount+ and Showtime in both linear and streaming.

Migration for existing Showtime subscribers will vary depending on how a customer originally signed up. Showtime subscribers have the remainder of the year to migrate to the new blended plan. They may be presented with promotional incentives to encourage them to try the new and expanded streaming offering.

The launch comes as Paramount+ continues to yank programming, including a number of original series, original movies and Nickelodeon content

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