Streaming has ushered in confusing times for premium cable brands. Just as Warner Bros. Discovery is restoring the “HBO” to HBO Max, Paramount has decided to drop Showtime from its flagship streamer.
The new name for the highest subscription tier is now Paramount Premium. The Paramount+ Showtime cable network brand, as well as the top-tier programming for the streaming service, are staying intact.
In a statement posted to the streaming app on Monday, Paramount+ explained that it made the change in part because it had recently “introduced a sampling of Showtime programming to the Essential [lowest-tier] plan.” Calling the higher tier Paramount+ Premium, therefore, “reflects the broad and diverse offerings across both plan tiers.”
Showtime programming, the statement continued, “remains an important part of Paramount+, and is still prominently represented on the service!”
The rebrand is not being accompanied by any pricing changes. Paramount+ Premium remains $12.99 a month, with the Essential tier still at $7.99.
Paramount Global, which is still trying to close its long-gestating merger with Skydance Media, recently reported 79 million global streaming subscribers as of the end of the first quarter.
Conceptually, Paramount faced the same dilemma that WBD has with its streaming operation. Showtime long operated its own stand-alone service, but it was combined with Paramount+ in 2023. That put broad-audience shows like Tracker and Matlock directly next to more upscale and targeted fare like Yellowjackets and Couples Therapy. Although the fit wasn’t quite as awkward as The White Lotus co-existing with 1,000-Pound Roomies, the reconciliation process has taken time.
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