Showtime Merges With Paramount+, Changes Its Name
The long-running Showtime cable network has just merged with Paramount+ and changed its name. Here is a look at what the new network will be called and what changes are coming for the service.
Showtime Has A New Name
Showtime is one of the OG premium cable networks. The network started way back in 1976 and made its name along with HBO and Cinemax as one of the top premium services on cable TV for years. After making its name with a huge boxing deal, it has also created some iconic shows over the years.
Through the years, Showtime has served as home to shows like Shameless, Homeland, Billions, Penny Dreadful, and Yellowjackets. However, things have changed in 2023 and some fans wonder if the new deal will end up killing the network.
Just months after Discovery purchased Warner Bros and took control of HBO Max, Paramount+ has merged with Showtime. In August 2022, Showtime was absorbed into the Paramount+ streaming service and Paramount CEO Bob Bakish said that it made no sense to run Showtime as a stand-alone service.
That has now come to pass. On January 30, 2023, the network was changed to Paramount+ with Showtime. This means that Showtime will still remain a recognizable brand, but it will now just be part of Paramount+ with the new name.
This follows ViacomCBS’s change to Paramount almost a year ago. Along with HBO Max and Peacock, Paramount+ has become one of the top streaming services spinning off TV networks for audiences to choose from.
What Is Next For Paramount+ With Showtime?
The question is what this means for Paramount+ with Showtime. When Discovery took over Warner Bros, it meant major changes. Warner Bros-Discovery chose to remove several shows from HBO Max so residuals wouldn’t have to be paid to creators. Batgirl, a movie originally planned as an HBO original movie, was canceled after it was shot.
Paramount has started to do the same with Showtime. The new Paramount+ with Showtime just canceled two shows after one season. Neither Let the Right One In nor American Gigolo will be back. Also, the Shailene Woodley-starring adaptation of Three Women would no longer move forward as planned. Much like Batgirl, this was a move made after it was already finished.
However, there are other properties that the new streaming network wants to build on. Yellowjackets, Billions, and Dexter were named as shows the network wants to build around. According to the report, this will be the first to integrate streaming and linear content in this way.
Do you think Showtime will remain an important cable network now that it merged with Paramount+ or is this the beginning of the end? Let us know your thoughts on Paramount+ with Showtime in the comments below.
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