The curtain is closing on Paramount+ with Showtime as Paramount Global quietly drops the once-iconic cable brand from the name of its premium streaming package.
On June 23, Paramount announced to subscribers that its ad-free plan, formerly known as Paramount+ with Showtime, will now be called Paramount+ Premium. The newly renamed top-tier plan joins Paramount+ Essential as one of the streamer’s options, with the latter offered at a lower price but supported by ads.
Why are they changing the name?
According to a statement on the Paramount+ site, the company explained: “Since we recently introduced a sampling of Showtime programming to the Essential plan, the Premium plan name reflects the broad and diverse offerings across both plan tiers.”
With Showtime content no longer exclusive to just the highest tier, keeping it in the name disproportionately highlighted that content. The new name simplifies matters by better representing the broader service lineup while reducing confusion between the packages.
Will this affect customers’ current plans?
According to the statement on Paramount+’s customer service site, the name change will not impact any current customer plan benefits or prices, as they will continue to offer premium services such as ad-free streaming, all of Showtime, CBS News 24/7, over 40,000 full episodes of television and hit movies available on demand, and local, live CBS stations, including NFL on CBS and UEFA Champions League live.
“Showtime programming remains an important part of Paramount+, and is still prominently represented on the service!”
They also added an annotation to give customers peace of mind: “Please note: depending on your device, you may not see the plan name change immediately. But rest assured, if you sign up for the Premium plan while it’s still Paramount+ with Showtime, your plan benefits will not be impacted!”
Will the price remain the same?
Yes. The pricing of the premium package remains the same at $12.99 per month or $119.99 per year, while Paramount+ Essential is available at $7.99 per month or $59.99 per year.
The name change comes just two years after a rebranding that bundled Showtime with Paramount+ to create Paramount+ with Showtime. The move then phased out the standalone Showtime app, which officially shut down in 2024.
What’s the difference between the Paramount+ Premium network through a TV provider, and the Paramount+ Premium on Paramount+?
The Paramount+ Premium is a television channel available via a TV provider’s service, like cable, satellite, or streaming television providers, while the Paramount+ Premium is one of the plans you can subscribe to as part of the Paramount+ streaming service.
Wait. Didn’t they just change their name?
Sort of. The name change comes just two years after rebranding the bundled Showtime with Paramount+ to create Paramount+ with Showtime. The move then phased out the standalone Showtime app, which officially shut down in 2024.
The Paramount+ “Minus Showtime” news comes just six weeks after Warner Bros. Discovery announced that two years after it rebranded as Max, its streaming service will go by HBO Max again because of… reasons.