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Yes, Showtime Is Free With Paramount Plus (But Not For All Subscribers)

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Showtime is free with Paramount Plus, providing you are signed up to the premium ad-free plan. While homes had to previously bundle both subscriptions together, that’s no longer the case. Not only is Showtime now free with Paramount Plus, but Showtime won’t exist as a separate service at all by the end of this year.

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Paramount Plus offers two main plans for subscribers to choose from. The cheapest option is $5.99/mo. Essential plan which is primarily an ad-supported subscription. Then there’s the $11.99/mo Paramount+ with Showtime plan, which is primarily an ad-free subscription.

In addition to the use of ads, another major difference between these two plans is the availability of showtime. While all subscribers to Paramount+ with Showtime get access to Showtime movies and shows within the Paramount Plus app, all Essential subscribers don’t get access to any Showtime content at all.

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For reference, the Paramount+ with Showtime plan was previously called the Premium plan, and for any homes still signed up to the discontinued plan, they have been automatically switched over to the Paramount+ with Showtime plan.

In other words, legacy Premium subscribers also now have access to Showtime for free with their Paramount Plus subscription.

The same is also true for any homes that were previously signed up to the Paramount Plus and Showtime bundle. They have also now been automatically switched over to Paramount+ with Showtime, and also now have access to the full Showtime library through the Paramount Plus app.

For those considering signing up to Paramount Plus, and wanting access to Showtime, it is also possible to subscribe to an annual Paramount Plus plan, which can help to save on the cost of a subscription over a full 12 months.

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The annual subscription is priced at $119.99/year, which brings the average monthly cost down to around $9.99, a saving of around $2 per month.

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How to find Showtime content in the Paramount Plus app

Providing you are signed up to the Paramount+ with Showtime plan, you can easily find all of the Showtime movies and shows within the Paramount Plus app.

If using a smart TV or streaming player to access the Paramount Plus app, then the Showtime catalog can be found by clicking left to open the main menu and then navigating down and clicking on Showtime.

Showtime category Paramount Plus app
Showtime category Paramount Plus app

The user will then be able to see all of the Showtime content that’s currently available and broken down into various subcategories, including separate shows and movies rows, as well as rows for featured titles, content that’s just been added (or leaving soon), and various genre-related rows.

Showtime rows Paramount Plus app
Showtime section in Paramount Plus app

In addition to the on-demand content, Paramount+ with Showtime subscribers also get access to the linear Showtime channels, with the added ability to choose between the East and West live channels.

Showtime live channel Paramount Plus app
Showtime live channels in Paramount Plus app

If accessing through the Paramount Plus website, subscribers will find all the same Showtime content, including the live linear channels, available through the Showtime tab at the top of the page.

If using the Paramount Plus mobile app, you will need to click on Hubs (at the top) first, and then on Showtime to access the dedicated Showtime section.

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John Finn

By John Finn

John started Streaming Better to help consumers navigate the live TV streaming and subscription service landscape. John has been editing and writing about technology and streaming for online publications since 2014, and believes the best streaming approach is to rotate between services as needed.

John's preferred live TV streaming service right now is YouTube TV although he does tend to switch live TV services multiple times each year to keep up to date with their changes. Outside of live TV, John also actively streams HBO Max (for the shows), Peacock (for Premier League), and Paramount Plus (for Champion's League). However, John is also currently subscribed to Apple TV+, Discovery+, Hulu, Starz, Showtime, and Shudder.

Contact John via email at john@streamingbetter.com or say hi on Twitter

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