Paramount+ and Showtime are combining into a single streaming app.
The bundle rollout follows an initial move last year to unify the billing of the two, with significant discounts, as Paramount Global was looking to give an extra boost to Paramount+. Formerly known as CBS All Access, the streaming service rebranded in 2021.
New subscribers will be able to sign up for Paramount+ With Showtime for $7.99 a month for the basic, ad-supported service and $12.99 for the ad-free version. Current subscribers can upgrade to the bundle within their app. After the introductory discount ends on October 2, the bundle will cost $11.99 with ads or $14.99 without them. Subscribers interested in having only Showtime, without Paramount+, will still be able to get it for $10.99 a month as a stand-alone offering as well as through third-party distributors.
Before the bundle rollout, Paramount+ had been $4.99 a month with ads, or $9.99 without ads. (Live shows, particularly sports, are not part of the ad-free promise.)
The Paramount combination comes as Warner Bros Discovery is working to bring together HBO Max and Discovery+ into a single app. Disney’s three-part bundle of Disney+, ESPN+ and Hulu has been a major success since its 2020 introduction. For now, each service within it remains separate, though it is widely expected that Hulu will migrate to Disney+ once Disney gains full control of Hulu in 2024.
In announcing the combo, Paramount Global said its aim was to make signing up and finding programming a smoother process.
“The Paramount+ with Showtime bundle offers consumers unprecedented value by providing one of the broadest content libraries in streaming at one of the lowest prices in the marketplace,” said Tom Ryan, president and chief executive officer of Paramount Global Streaming. “This singular user experience streamlines sign-up and enhances discovery, and this lower price will allow more households to enjoy this exceptional combined entertainment offering.”