Paramount+ With Showtime: Pay Channel, Streaming Arm Merge

Learn more about plans to incorporate the iconic premium TV network into the Paramount+ linear and streaming platforms.

After decades of televising premium original programming like Dexter, Homeland, Billions, Weeds, Californication, Ray Donovan, some of the best boxing matches we’ve ever seen, and countless feature films and documentaries, Showtime parent company Paramount Global announced this week that the iconic network will be incorporated into its Paramount+ service.

Both the Showtime linear cable channel and the linear tier of Paramount+ will be renamed “Paramount+ with Showtime” as part of the move.

Paramount CEO Bob Bakish broke the news in an internal staff memo, with Chris McCarthy leading the studio and linear channel and Tom Ryan leading the streaming arm. Layoffs and programming changes will reportedly likely come in the not-too-distant future in conjunction with this news, and plans will be forthcoming on how to merge Showtime and Paramount+ accounts.

The integration of @Showtime with @paramountplus is the natural next step in our evolution. https://t.co/HWvRnK0QPN
— Paramount (@paramountco) January 30, 2023

“While we are confident this is the right move for our company, our consumers, and our partners, we know this change brings uncertainty for the teams working on these brands and businesses,” Bakish said in the memo. “We are committed to being as transparent and thoughtful as possible throughout this process, and we expect to share additional details in the coming weeks.”

The company quickly began its Showtime restructuring plans with future efforts to strengthen streaming offerings, canceling Let the Right One In and American Gigolo while not moving forward with Shailene Woodley’s Three Women adaptation.

Showtime launched on May 9, 1976 and quickly became HBO’s lead pay cable competitor, launching a special pay-per-view channel in 1988 for major one-off events including boxing. Other Showtime network offerings include Showtime 2, movie channel Showtime Showcase, Showtime x BET, Showtime Extreme, Showtime Family Zone, Showtime Next, and Showtime Women. In 2022, Paramount added Showtime to Paramount+ as part of a bundle offering, but kept Showtime’s standalone app, which will now be fully integrated into Paramount+, marking the official end of an era.