Streaming rebrands and repackages will continue until morale improves! Problem is, they kinda suck for morale and none of them make any sense. Today’s WTF du jour is the news that Showtime’s linear cable channel is no longer called “Showtime.” Starting in January 2024, it will be called Paramount+ With Showtime, a wordy and unwieldy name for a streaming add-on, let alone a cable channel, but it gets more annoying!
Despite rebranding the linear channel with the same name, and releasing some of Paramount+’s streaming originals on the linear channel, viewers who subscribe to the cable channel will not necessarily have access to the Paramount+ With Showtime streaming platform, and the original Showtime Anytime streaming app is sunsetting on December 14.
In non-technical terms: Viewers who pay extra to add the premium channel Showtime (Paramount+ With Showtime as of January 8) to their cable package are not guaranteed access to the Paramount+ With Showtime streaming platform.
Paramount’s statement relays the following about their decision to make the change: “The move aligns the brand [the brand being the Showtime channel] with the Paramount+ With Showtime plan, a cornerstone integration for the streaming service, making this the first of its kind multiplatform brand that integrates streaming and linear content.”
While this statement is technically true, it’s only so because of the “multiplatform” bit due to the partnership between Paramount and Showtime. HBO and their streaming platform Max have been operating this way since HBO Max’s inception, with only certain subscribers in certain markets or with certain cable subscriptions having access to both. Of course, as Max continues to evolve — or I guess devolve, there’s a lot going on over there. Stay tuned for my end-of-year wrap-up — this may change.
Who Has Access to Both Versions of Paramount+ With Showtime?
Ok, stick with me here. I’m gonna try to keep the technical mumbo jumbo to a minimum! Currently, we know of one access method based on Monday’s Variety report.
Basically, the answer at the time of publication is you have to live in a market where Paramount+ has deals with local pay-TV providers. If they have a deal with whoever you’re buying your cable from, you’ll be able to sign into Paramount+ With Showtime with your cable information via an authentication app for as long as the deal(s) remain intact.
Because it is so early on in this announcement, we don’t actually know which providers are partnering with Paramount+ at this time. However, I wouldn’t panic if you think you live in one of the markets that will not be supported. This is speculation, but since the Paramount+ With Showtime move is pretty similar to what HBO did with HBO Max (now just Max for reasons that remain ridiculous), we will likely see more ways to access before the change goes live in January of 2024. Max, in addition to its partnership with cable providers, also works with mobile providers and DirectTV to offer access packages. You can probably expect to find a website similar to Max’s “Do I already have access to Max?” cropping up over on Paramount+’s site relatively soon.
I Don’t Use Cable, Does This Paramount+ With Showtime Thing Affect Me?
Short answer: No!
Longer answer: A little bit, but not negatively! If you’re a standalone Showtime app subscriber, you’ll start to see some Paramount+ originals cropping up on your app on January 8. Right now, that list is Sexy Beast, Halo Season 2, both seasons of Mayor of Kingstown, all seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, and Wolf Pack.
Where Can I Find Yellowjackets After the Paramount+ With Showtime Change?
I see that you have your priorities in order and I respect it. Don’t worry, the Yellowjackets team and their impeccable TV series will remain right where you left them; the name of the channel has just changed. As of right now, there’s nothing to indicate that Season 3 won’t be airing on both the newly branded linear Paramount+ With Showtime channel as well as the streaming platform (it was also previously available on Showtime Anytime, but that'll be gone by the time Season 3 airs). Here’s hoping they fix last season’s wonky release schedule, though. Releasing at different times on different platforms did not do their viewership any favors!
Can I Still Get Showtime As An Add-On With Hulu, Apple and Prime Video?
Totally understand why you’re confused, and yes! You will still be able to subscribe to Showtime via Hulu, Apple, Prime Video, and anywhere else it’s offered as a stand-alone channel despite the fact that the Showtime Anytime app is sunsetting. The other platforms currently have a price increase listed on their websites for Showtime that are set to hit after the name change, so there's no reason to believe the channel will be disappearing. What's currently in question, though, is how they'll differentiate the stand-alone add-on if it, too, will be shifting to the "Paramount+ With Showtime" branding. On the one hand, the company wants an aligned naming-structure. On the other, calling an add-on on another streaming platform "Paramount+ With Showtime," but only having the linear cable channel's shows and movies with that add-on rather than everything available from the streamer with the same name is a recipe for disaster.
We’ll undoubtedly hear more about the Paramount+ With Showtime situation as we get closer to the release in January. Unfortunately, this won’t be the last of the bundles and shifts as the streaming continues to contract around itself, but I’ll do my best to keep you posted when the next peculiar shift comes a’ knockin’.
In the meantime, hit me up in the comments if you have any questions about the shift that I didn’t answer!
Amelia is the entertainment Streaming Editor here at IGN. She's also a film and television critic who spends too much time talking about dinosaurs, superheroes, and folk horror. You can usually find her with her dog, Rogers. There may be cheeseburgers involved. Follow her across social @ThatWitchMia
