It’s the beginning of the end for Showtime as a standalone brand.
Paramount Global will launch the newly integrated Paramount+ With Showtime service in the U.S. on June 27, establishing it as the company’s top-tier streaming product without commercials. As previously announced, the Paramount+ With Showtime plan will cost $11.99 per month — up 17% from $9.99/month, but still less than the standard ad-free packages from rivals like Warner Bros. Discovery’s Max (nee HBO Max) and Netflix.
At the same time, the price of the Paramount+ Essential Plan (without Showtime) will increase from $4.99 to $5.99 per month.
By the end of the year, the company plans to sunset the Showtime app and rebrand the linear premium pay-TV channel to “deliver a distinguished premium service with hit originals across linear and streaming – the first to truly integrate streaming and linear content this way.”
“This summer, Paramount+ will officially become the streaming home for Showtime, further advancing our lead in being the total household service,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO of Paramount Streaming, in a statement. “By integrating the Showtime premium and critically acclaimed portfolio with the service’s already broad and popular slate, all at a competitive price, we will solidify Paramount+ as a cornerstone in streaming.”
The move to unify Paramount+ and Showtime is designed to make the top-tier plan even stickier and engaging as competition continues to flourish in the streaming world. The announcement of the Paramount+ With Showtime initial launch comes as WBD is set to launch Max on May 23 (combining HBO Max and Discovery+); Disney, meanwhile, is planning to roll out an integrated experience for Disney+ and Hulu later in 2023.
The unified Paramount+ With Showtime service includes Showtime’s originals like the Emmy-nominated “Yellowjackets,” “Dexter,” “Your Honor,” “Billions,” “George & Tammy” and “The Chi” as well as non-fiction projects including “Couples Therapy” and Peabody Award-winner “We Need to Talk about Cosby.”
That will be combined with Paramount+’s lineup that comprises franchises including the Taylor Sheridan universe (“1923” and “Tulsa King”), Star Trek, SpongeBob SquareParnts and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” as well as films such as “Top Gun” and “Scream” and library series including “NCIS” and “PAW Patrol.” In addition, Paramount+ offers live events and sports — including the NFL — through local CBS stations, plus thousands of exclusive soccer matches a year anchored by the UEFA Champions League.
“From ‘Yellowjackets’ to ‘Your Honor,’ Showtime is home to big, premium, sophisticated series which will now be complemented with broad, blockbuster originals and movies in the alignment of Paramount+ With Showtime,” said Chris McCarthy, president and CEO, Showtime/MTV Entertainment Studios & Paramount Media Networks. “Together, Paramount+ with Showtime will provide our consumers a much more rewarding experience with our vast set of unique originals and deep library of iconic shows and hit films.”
