According to a report from Cord Cutters News, Paramount, the parent of Showtime, is shutting down its “Showtime Anytime” app. It doesn’t come as a surprise. I myself predicted it earlier this year. The big surprise is that if you get Showtime from your cable or satellite provider, forget about using an app to watch that content. It’s not likely to happen.
The details
According to a graphic posted on Showtime’s site,
Showtime Anytime will shut down on 12/14/23. However, your subscription via your TV provider will remain active. Contact them to learn about other ways to watch SHOWTIME.
This is just the logical conclusion of Paramount’s efforts to move all Showtime content to the Paramount+ app. So, if you want to stream Showtime content, Paramount+ is the only way to do it. And, that means paying $12 a month more than you’re already paying for Showtime on live TV.
Honestly, this move makes HBO’s decision to strip 4K content from its live TV customers seem almost charitable. But make no mistake, this is where it is all going. The days when you got free access to a streaming app just because you subscribed to live TV are coming to an end.
Why this is a jerk move
This move devalues cable and satellite at a time when the industry really needs a win. It takes away any incentive for people to subscribe to premium channels on cable or satellite, since the cost is often similar to streaming. Given the choice, many people would prefer to stream rather than watch programming on a fixed schedule. These companies know that and they are intentionally sticking it to their longtime partners.
But, like it or not, it’s likely to be the wave of the future. I expect that when future contracts for HBO and Starz are negotiated, streaming apps will come out of the picture. It may happen slowly on a provider by provider basis, or it may be something that happens (in the ironic words of a film available on Showtime) everything everywhere all at once.
The good news is that you’re really not losing anything
Even if you choose not to pay for Paramount+, you can still stream Showtime content, at least for now. Just look for it on the DIRECTV or DISH Anywhere apps. So far I’ve yet to find a Showtime program that isn’t available through both provider apps on demand. That may change in the future as contracts are renegotiated, but you’re safe for now… unless.
Unless?
Let’s put our cards on the table here folks. There isn’t a lot of content that’s exclusive to Showtime. There are a few well-regarded original programs and you’ll occasionally see a movie making its first streaming app appearance there. But it’s not the firehose of content that you get from, say, Netflix.
So in that sense, losing Showtime isn’t as big of a deal as it could be. However, Paramount could start moving their original content to be exclusive on their streaming app. They could still call it “Showtime” content even if it’s not available on the live Showtime channels. Given that Paramount has already shown their willingness to be jerks about stuff, I wouldn’t put it past them.
You have to wonder…
You have to wonder if this is really based in technology more than policy. When Paramount+ first launched as CBS All Access, it did offer a free tier that did little more than show you the live feed of your local CBS station and offer one or two episodes of top shows on demand. That capability hasn’t really been spotlighted in recent years as Paramount+ tries to build itself an identity separate from CBS broadcast.
It may very well be that Paramount’s engineers couldn’t figure out a way to let cable and satellite providers get access to Showtime content without giving them access to the rest of the app. Or, they ran into a roadblock that they don’t want to pay to break through. It could be as simple as that. Given the technical problems I’ve had with the standalone Showtime app over the years, I could really see it.
Buckle up
As I said, this is likely to be just one shot fired in an ongoing war between traditional pay-tv providers and those content makers who once relied on them. It’s not going to be pretty and in the end, it’s we the customers who will foot the bill.
For now, enjoy Showtime content on the DIRECTV and DISH apps if you subscribe to Showtime. You’re still safe there.
