Showtime streaming service may reportedly be merged with Paramount+
For one streaming service, the show may be over.
Paramount is considering shutting down Showtime's streaming service and moving all of its content to Paramount+, The Wall Street Journal reports.
This would be the latest example of a company consolidating multiple streaming options to better compete against rivals like Netflix and Disney+. Warner Bros. Discovery also announced last month that it will combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single streaming offering in summer 2023. It hasn't been announced whether that service will still be called HBO Max or if it will get a new name.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Showtime's streaming service offers its library of original shows like Yellowjackets for $10.99 a month. Those who subscribe to Showtime via their cable package get access to the streaming service for no additional fee, but it's also available to purchase without cable.
Paramount+, meanwhile, offers content from a variety of Paramount brands including CBS, Comedy Central, and Nickelodeon, as well as Paramount+ original streaming content like The Good Fight and numerous Star Trek shows. It was formerly known as CBS All Access, and the premium version costs $9.99 a month. Combining Showtime's programming into Paramount+ could help bulk up the latter service, which has about 43 million subscribers globally compared to about 220 million for Netflix and 152 million for Disney+.
The Journal's report said discussions about merging the two streaming services are still early, but a Paramount Global spokesperson said "we are always exploring options to maximize the value of our content investment by giving consumers access to great Paramount content through an array of services and platforms."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
6 charming homes for the whimsical
Feature Featuring a 1924 factory-turned-loft in San Francisco and a home with custom murals in Yucca Valley
By The Week Staff Published
-
Big tech's big pivot
Opinion How Silicon Valley's corporate titans learned to love Trump
By Theunis Bates Published
-
Stacy Horn's 6 favorite works that explore the spectrum of evil
Feature The author recommends works by Kazuo Ishiguro, Anthony Doerr, and more
By The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Bitcoin surges above $100k in post-election rally
Speed Read Investors are betting that the incoming Trump administration will embrace crypto
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Enron mystery: 'sick joke' or serious revival?
Speed Read 23 years after its bankruptcy filing, the Texas energy firm has announced its resurrection
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US charges Indian tycoon with bribery, fraud
Speed Read Indian billionaire Gautam Adani has been indicted by US prosecutors for his role in a $265 million scheme to secure solar energy deals
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Boeing machinists approve contract, end strike
Speed Read The company's largest union approved the new contract offer, ending a seven-week strike
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published