NEW YORK—Following up on an announcement last summer that the long-time pay TV network Showtime would be rebranded, Paramount has announced that the Showtime linear network will be rebranded to Paramount+ with Showtime on January 8th, 2024. 

Paramount announced in late June that the Showtime linear network would be rebranded to better align its streaming and TV efforts to create a multiplatform brand but did not provide a date for the rebrand. 

As part of that effort, Showtime integrated its streaming offering into Paramount+ with the June 27 launch of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan priced at $11.99 a month. 

With the name change, Showtime subscribers will have access to more premium storytelling with new Paramount+ Original series “Sexy Beast”, the upcoming second season of “Halo” and and the best of Paramount+ on January 8th.

The company said it will also be running campaigns on Showtime owned linear channels to promote the rebrand and the expanded programming. 

NEW YORK—As previously announced, Showtime has integrated its streaming offering into Paramount+ with the June 27 launch of the Paramount+ with Showtime plan priced at $11.99 a month. 

The move makes Paramount+ the new streaming home for Showtime’s portfolio of programming and is part of an industry wide trend towards bundling or consolidating streaming brands to simplify consumer choices. 

The Showtime linear channel remains as is. In the future, however, the linear channel will be rebranded to Paramount+ with Showtime, delivering a selection of premium Paramount+ and Showtime hit titles across both linear and streaming, the company said.

The Paramount+ Essential Plan (without Showtime) is available for $5.99 per month.

“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.”

Both the Paramount+ with Showtime plan and the Paramount+ Essential plan feature Paramount’s expansive collection of exclusive new originals, hit series, marquee franchises and popular movies from the Paramount family of world-renowned brands and production studios: BET, CBS, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures and the Smithsonian Channel. 

Existing Paramount+ Premium subscribers automatically receive access to Showtime content under the rebranded Paramount+ with Showtime plan. New customers can take advantage of a 30-day free trial for the Paramount+ with Showtime plan from now through July 12, the streaming service reported.  

Consumers can subscribe to Paramount+ online at ParamountPlus.com; via the Paramount+ app for iOS and Android; and across a wide number of platforms, including smart TVs, connected-TV devices, online, mobile, gaming consoles, and leading OTT providers. 

The new Paramount+ with Showtime plan will begin rolling out across platforms starting June 27.  

NEW YORK—In a notable example of how major streamers are looking to bundle their services to attract and retain subscribers in an increasingly competitive streaming landscape, Paramount+ has launched a bundle that will bring together its library of original series, hit shows and popular movies together with the Showtime service’s premium portfolio of programming. 

The Paramount+ with Showtime bundle is available to U.S. subscribers at a special, limited time price of $7.99 per month for the Essential Plan  with ads and $12.99 per month for the Premium Plan.

Following the special introductory pricing, which is available through Oct. 2, the bundle will be available for $11.99 for the Essential tier or $14.99 for the ad-free Premium tier.

“The Paramount+ with Showtime bundle offers consumers unprecedented value by providing one of the broadest content libraries in streaming at one of the lowest prices in the marketplace,” said Tom Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Paramount Global Streaming. “This singular user experience streamlines sign-up and enhances discovery, and this lower price will allow more households to enjoy this exceptional combined entertainment offering.”

The new product experience, which is available for purchase across platforms, allows for simplified sign-up and easier discovery of programming from Paramount+ and Showtime, all within the Paramount+ app. 

The ad-supported Essential Plan combines marquee sports, including NFL games and more than 2,000 soccer matches each year, with on-demand entertainment options spanning the full suite of current and upcoming shows and movies, as well as breaking news through CBS News Network. 

The Premium Plan features commercial-free, on-demand entertainment with 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and mobile downloads; an extended roster of must-watch sports; and live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S. The Showtime service with its unparalleled roster of hit original content, live sports and theatrical films, will be commercial-free for both Paramount+ plans.

The new Paramount+ with Showtime experience will begin rolling out across platforms on August 31. 

In addition to the Paramount+ with Showtime bundle, Showtime will continue to be available separately for $10.99 as a standalone service and through other third-party distributors.

NEW YORK—The Paramount Global has announced a host of new initiatives that highlight how the newly rebranded company is hoping to take on larger streaming players like Netflix and Disney. These include plans to launch a Paramount+/Showtime bundle to consumers, a new slate of original content and an aggressive push into international markets that will include the launch of Paramount+ in France. 

"We see a huge global opportunity in streaming, a much larger potential market than can be captured by linear TV and film alone," explained Bob Bakish, president and CEO of Paramount. "We're excited about our ability to not just compete, but thrive, creating significant value for both consumers and shareholders. How? Because we're broader in four key areas: our diverse content, streaming model, mix of platforms and global reach. As we look forward, the size of the opportunity we see is matched only by our ambition to seize it."

To attract new subs by offering lower-cost bundles, the company has announced plans to offer two different bundles of Paramount+ and Showtime starting in the summer of 2022 in the U.S. 

Starting this summer, Paramount+ subscribers will be able to upgrade their subscription to a $11.99 bundle for the Paramount+ Essential tier and Showtime or a $14.99 bundle for the Paramount+ Premium tier and Showtime. 

Both plans offer discounts to the cost of separately subscribing to the services, a strategy that Disney has used to great success with its bundled offering. 

Showtime will also remain available as a standalone premium OTT subscription service and through various third-party streaming platforms.

As part of the ongoing global expansion of Paramount+ in 2022, the company also announced that Paramount+ will make its debut in France as an exclusive bundle with Canal+ Group, giving subscribers immediate access to Paramount+ through the country's largest provider. Paramount+ will also be available on an a la carte and direct-to-consumer basis in the French market.

With Paramount+ and SkyShowtime, the company will have streaming services available in more than 60 markets across the UK, Latin America, Canada, Australia, South Korea, the Caribbean and all major markets in Europe by the end of this year, the company said. In 2023, the company will look to Asia, Africa and the Middle East to build a presence around the globe. 

 NEW YORK—Taking a page from the success Disney has had bundling its streaming offerings, ViacomCBS is offering consumers a new bundle pairing Paramount+ with Showtime with $9.99 per month Essential Plan and $12.99 per month for the Premium Plan.

“This powerhouse bundle gives us the opportunity to connect ViacomCBS’ diverse and differentiated cross-genre content slate with even more consumers,” said Tom Ryan, president and CEO ViacomCBS Streaming. “Paramount+ and Showtime are both experiencing tremendous growth and momentum, and we expect this competitively priced bundle to only further expand the reach of both services.”

The bundle is available to U.S. subscribers through Paramount+’s two pricing tiers. 

The ad-supported Essential Plan, at $9.99 per month, combines marquee sports, including NFL games and more than 2,000 soccer matches each year, with on-demand entertainment options spanning the full suite of current and upcoming shows and movies, as well as breaking news through CBSN. 

The Premium Plan, at $12.99 per month, features commercial-free, on-demand entertainment with 4K, HDR and Dolby Vision and mobile downloads; an extended roster of must-watch sports; and live streams of local affiliates in over 200 markets across the U.S.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—Apple TV+ subscribers will soon have the option to add a discounted bundle of CBS All Access and Showtime content, according to a report from Bloomberg.

Apple has plans to offer its first discounted bundle on its TV+ service featuring as soon as next week. Currently, Apple TV+ subscribers can only get different content providers on an a la carte basis.

Per Bloomberg, starting Monday, Aug. 17, Apple TV+ will provide both CBS All Access and Showtime channels in Apple TV’s app for $9.99/month combined.

This is part of a broader plan from Apple to make bundle services available across all of its major offerings later this year called “Apple One.”

For more information, read Bloomberg’s full story. 

NEW YORK & PHILADELPHIA—ViacomCBS owned stations and networks won’t be going away for Comcast customers anytime soon, as the two sides have come to terms on a renewed content carriage agreement.

The deal will continue retransmission consent of 23 CBS-owned TV stations in 15 markets across the U.S., including CBS-owned CW affiliates. It will also continue the distribution of entertainment and sports channels like Showtime, Smithsonian Channel, Pop TV and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers.

Something new to the deal is the addition of the CBS All Access digital subscription on-demand and livestreaming service to Comcast’s Xfinity X1 and Flex platforms later in 2020. ViacomCBS says this is the first time the CBS All Access app will be available on an MVPD-based set-top box.

In addition, the agreement covers TV Everywhere availability of programming from CBS Television Network and CBS Sports Network to Xfinity customers on CBS.com, the CBS app and Xfinity Stream. Showtime Anytime will also continue to provide Xfinity Showtime subscribers with unlimited access to its content online and on mobile devices.

The markets impacted by the deal are: New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Miami, Denver, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore for CBS-owned stations; and Philadelphia, San Francisco, Atlanta, Tampa, Seattle, Detroit, Sacramento, Pittsburgh and Baltimore for CW affiliates.

Also, two MyNetwork affiliates will be available in Boston and Miami, and the CBS-owned independent station will be available in New York.

The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.