Paramount Global will relaunch its Showtime multiplex movie network on cable and satellite under the “Paramount Plus with Showtime” brand, the company announced on Monday.
The relaunch will take place on January 8, 2024, and will include the debut of some popular Paramount Plus original titles on the former Showtime network, including “Halo,” “Mayor of Kingstown” and “Star Trek: Discovery.” Those shows will be scheduled in rotation alongside Showtime’s original series like “Yellowjackets” and “The Chi,” Paramount said.
Despite the rebrand, some cable subscribers with a Showtime subscription will continue to stream content through the standalone Showtime app from January on, though Paramount executives say they are working on integrating cable and satellite authentication into the flagship Paramount Plus with Showtime app.
Still, Paramount says the realignment of its Paramount Plus and Showtime brands is “the first of its kind multiplatform brand that integrates streaming and linear content” under a single name.
By contrast, Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) offers HBO content through its Max general entertainment streaming service, while preserving the HBO name for its multiplex cable and satellite movie network. Most HBO subscribers who purchase the movie network through their cable or satellite platform have access to Max as part of their plan, but the two remain separate brands under common ownership.
For Paramount, the rebrand of the Showtime network will mostly conclude a strategic realignment of its Paramount Plus and Showtime brands that started earlier this year, when the premium version of Paramount Plus was relaunched under the same brand name. That tier costs $12 per month and offers access to a subscriber’s local CBS affiliate through streaming.
