It’s been three months since Paramount Global execs said they’d be hiking the price of Paramount+, and they’ve long signaled the possibility that the standalone Showtime app would be going away.
Well, both are now set to happen, with the Paramount+ price increases slated to hit next month, while the legacy Showtime app will disappear before the year is out.
Ready for the details? The $9.99-a-month Paramount+ Premium tier, which will take on the Paramount+ with Showtime brand, will cost $11.99 a month, up $2/month from the previous $9.99-a-month rate (as per Variety). That price hike will take effect June 27.
Meanwhile, the ad-supported Paramount+ Essentials (minus Showtime) will be going up to $6.99 a month, a buck more than the previous $5.99/month subscription rate.
Finally, the standalone Showtime app will be shut down by the end of the year. Streaming via the Showtime app currently costs $10.99 a month.
Previously, Paramount+ had offered a couple of ad-free options: Paramount+ Premium, which cost $9.99 a month but didn’t include Showtime, and Premium with Showtime, which went for $11.99 a month.
As of June 27, the cheaper Paramount+ Premium plan will essentially morph into the pricier Paramount with Showtime plan, meaning all ad-free Paramount+ subscribers will be paying the same $11.99-a-month rate.
Once the standalone Showtime app is retired (Paramount execs didn’t offer an exact date), the Paramount+ and Showtime consolidation will be complete. Paramount first promised to combine the two services more than a year ago.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. Discovery just launched Max, its combined HBO Max and Discovery offering (the Discovery+ standalone app is still around), while Disney says it will soon offer a “one-app experience” for Disney+ and Hulu (both services will continue to exist separately, at least for now).
Author: Ben Patterson, Senior Writer
Ben has been writing about technology and consumer electronics for more than 20 years. A PCWorld contributor since 2014, Ben joined TechHive in 2019, where he covers smart speakers, soundbars, and other smart and home-theater devices. You can follow Ben on Twitter.