Subscribers to streaming video services may soon have one less to pay for.
The parent company of Showtime and CBS, Paramount, intends to merge its Showtime and Paramount+ streaming services.
In June 2021, the company, formerly known as ViacomCBS, will launch Paramount+.
Showtime will be “fully integrated” with Paramount+ later this year, and the names of the premium Paramount+ streaming tier and the Showtime pay TV network will be changed to “Paramount+ with Showtime,” according to CEO Bob Bakish in a memo to employees obtained by USA TODAY.
“Paramount+ will become the definitive multiplatform brand in the streaming space – and the first of its kind to integrate streaming and linear content in this manner,” he predicted.
According to the company’s November 2022 report, Pmount+ has grown to 46 million subscribers, accounting for the lion’s share of the company’s 67 million total streaming subscribers.
In comparison, Netflix and Disney+ have approximately 223 million and 164 million subscribers, respectively, while NBCUniversal’s Peacock service has approximately 18 million.
The studio isn’t the only one looking to streamline its offerings. HBO Max and Discovery+ will be combined this spring by Warner Bros. Discovery, which has approximately 92 million subscribers across its HBO and Discovery+ streaming services.
Despite Paramount’s efforts to streamline its streaming operations, “far too many streaming services exist,” according to LightShed analyst Rich Greenfield on Twitter. “Either major players merge or some will go away.”
How much will the new integrated Paramount+ and Showtime service cost?
What is unknown is whether subscribers will save money when the changes go into effect later this year.
Currently, the monthly fee for Paramount+ is $4.99.
A monthly subscription to Paramount+/Showtime starts at $11.99; for $3 more per month ($14.99), subscribers can watch with fewer ads and live stream their local CBS station.
A separate Showtime streaming subscription costs $10.99 per month.
Pay TV subscribers can add Showtime to their package for roughly the same price and receive free access to Showtime Anytime. These services will most likely be phased out in favour of the new service.
What’s on Paramount+ these days?
For starters, Sarah Michelle Gellar’s new supernatural series “Wolf Pack” is premiering. Other options from Paramount+ include:
“Yellowstone” prequels “1883” and “1923,” starring Harrison Ford and Helen Mirren. In addition, “Star Trek: Picard” will begin its third and final season on February 16. “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” and “Star Trek: Lower Decks” are among the other Star Trek titles available on Paramount+.
CBS shows such as “Ghosts,” “NCIS,” and “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” have recently aired new episodes.
“Paw Patrol” and “Spongebob Squarepants” are two Nickelodeon shows.
Recent films include “Top Gun: Maverick” and “Devotion,” as well as classics like “Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark” and “Grease.”
Sports such as live UEFA Champions League soccer and NFL games are available.
Live CBS TV, as well as over 40,000 episodes and films from CBS, BET, Comedy Central, MTV, Nickelodeon, Paramount Pictures, and Smithsonian Channel.
What’s on Showtime this week?
Original TV shows like “George & Tammy,” “Yellowjackets,” “Dexter,” “Billions,” “The L Word,” “Desus and Mero,” “The Chi,” and “Penny Dreadful,” as well as movies like “Everything Everywhere At Once” and the documentary “Sheryl.”
Live sporting events such as Bellator MMA and boxing are also available.
