Let me tell you, watching shows on Showtime was a major pain.
This isn’t news, either. If you watched the 2022 Primetime Emmys, then you remember host Kenan Thompson’s joke about how hard it was to watch certain hit shows like Yellowjacketsbecause it was on Showtime, which had its streaming service for those of you who weren’t aware of yet another streaming service existing.
As someone who had Showtime, the service offers a great selection of films and TV shows that are not on many other streaming services. The only problem is that it isn’t a service that I went to often. Eventually, I forgot about it until I saw that I was still being charged for a monthly subscription.
Well, Showtime realized it wasn’t making any profit in the streaming wars, so it merged with Paramount+. The catch is that this merger isn’t coming cheap for subscribers who want access to Showtime.
According to IndieWire, the Paramount+ with Showtime ``premium tier” will increase its price from $9.99 per month to $11.99 per month. The “essential tier,” which will not include content from Showtime, is rising from $4.99 to $5.99. This change will happen in the Fall of 2023 when the two services complete their merger.
Subscribers of Showtime’s own app will have to transition to the Paramount+ app as Showtime plans to end their service.
'Your Honor'Credit: Paramount Global Content Distribution
When we look at the market as a whole, we are not shocked to see Paramount+ raising its prices with this merger. Price increases have been an industry trend, with Netflix rising their prices and desperately searching for new subscribers by ending password sharing, streamers raising their monthly subscription prices, and AMC charging moviegoers more for middle seats.
Prices are rising everywhere, and Hollywood is becoming bloated by its own financial needs despite how much money it is bleeding.
Has the streaming bubble burst with entertainment companies like AMC announcing layoffs due to miscalculated revenue streams with the delayed launch of its streaming service? Is this merger between Paramount+ and Showtime too late?
It’s hard to tell, but we will keep an eye on the future of streaming.
Let us know your thoughts on the merger and increasing streaming prices in the comments below!
Source: IndieWire
