Paramount+ And Showtime OTT To Combine In Single Streaming Outlet Starting At $12 A Month; Showtime To Remain Available As Stand-Alone
16.02.2022 - 00:45
/ deadline.com
In one of the boldest efforts yet by a media company looking to enlarge its streaming subscriber base, ViacomCBS is combining Paramount+ and Showtime in a single, integrated offering.
The merged service, which is expected to debut this summer, follows a bundling effort last fall that was mainly a bid to drive more customer acquisition with discount pricing. Similar to Disney’s bundle, though, the services had remained separate.
In the new iteration, subscribers to Paramount+ will be able to upgrade to a combined subscription and toggle between programming on one and the other. The new service will cost $12 a month for the ad-supported (or “Essential”) tier of Paramount + and Showtime. An ad-free version will be $15. Ads, of course, will not be served during Showtime programming, per the premium outlet’s longtime policy. In that respect, the service will resemble HBO Max with Ads, which has ads on a wide range of programming but not on HBO-branded fare.
Showtime will continue to be available as a stand-alone app, for anyone uninterested in Paramount+. Pricing for the single service, as of now, is unchanged.
The combo news was announced by Streaming CEO Tom Ryan during a ViacomCBS investor day, which was held virtually. He said the bundled offer introduced last fall “has performed very well out of the gate” thanks to its streamlined sign-up process.
Just prior to the investor day, ViacomCBS reported 56 million global subscribers to all of its streaming services. Paramount+ (at 32.8 million) and Showtime make up the bulk of the overall tally, but niche outlets like BET+ and Noggin are also included. For comparison, Netflix is at 22 million global subscribers, Disney+ has reached 130 million and HBO Max is at 73.8 million when