With the big upcoming rebrand of CBS All Access to Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ Bob Bakish confirmed that Showtime won’t be absorbed into the platform but will remain a standalone OTT option to complement the streamer since Showtime is “strong enough to stand on its own.” Apparently the add-on service has seen astronomical numbers this year, adding more subscribers in the first six months of 2020 than it did in the last two and a half years combined, making the second quarter of 2020 its best ever.
Part of Showtime’s success has come from its package deals with other streaming services. The OTT is an a la carte option for streamers like Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and more, making it a widespread option for more than just CBS All Access subscribers. Showtime has 27 million subscribers, 7 million of which subscribe to Showtime OTT.
In the words of Showtime CEO David Nevins, the network has “no ulterior motives to support a distribution system,” so it’s able to piggyback with other streamers since it doesn’t see them as competition. Showtime will often offer discounted subscription bundles, like its most recent deal with Apple that gives users CBS All Access and Showtime for just $9.99 a month along with an active Apple TV+ subscription. CBS All Access is normally $9.99 on its own, and Showtime comes for the monthly price of $10.99. Sot the bundle deal saves users about $11 in the end.
According to ViacomCBS, Paramount+ will launch in early 2021 and will be a rebrand of CBS All Access. The streaming service will include content from the company’s portfolio, including broadcast, news, sports, and its popular entertainment brands, like MTV, BET, Comedy Central, CBS, Paramount Television Studios, Nickelodeon, and Smithsonian Channel. The service will also include movies from Paramount Pictures.