Free Access to Showtime Shows on Pluto TV, but with Some Restrictions
Time to Score Some Free Showtime!
Hey there! If you're a fan of premium content but not the premium price tag, listen up! Reportedly, some of Showtime's best shows are now available on Pluto TV, a free streaming service owned by ViacomCBS, without the need for a separate subscription.
Curious about Pluto TV? Think of it as a buffet of content channels based on popular properties. From CNN live news to a zany Baywatch channel, they've got a bit of everything. And yes, you guessed it — Showtime's also part of the ViacomCBS family!
This move is all about synergy and baiting you in. The new channel, cleverly named Showtime Selects, offers a tantalizing taste of 250 hours of unfiltered original Showtime goodness. You'll get sneak peeks at the upcoming Bryan Cranston drama, Your Honor, the final season of Shameless, and "select episodes" of series like The Affair, Ray Donovan, Billions, The L Word, and Californication. Adding fuel to the fire, the channel also includes the entire limited series The Loudest Voice and the true-crime docuseries Murder in the Bayou.
Now, here's the catch — while this free offering might draw more viewers to Pluto TV, ViacomCBS is hoping you'll fall in love with the content and upgrade to a full Showtime subscription to catch the juicy bits you missed. This strategy is similar to free Showtime trials available through Hulu or Amazon Prime Video, but with a twist: Showtime Selects will be a permanent, cross-promotional deal, with updated content monthly and ads to support it. ViacomCBS is even working on a convenient way for viewers to hop from Pluto TV right into the paid Showtime service.
So, why doesn't ViacomCBS just toss Showtime shows onto another one of its streaming services, Paramount? Simple — it's all about the dough. According to reports, ViacomCBS Chief Executive Bob Bakish believes Showtime is strong enough to stand on its own, although that's up for debate. While Showtime saw an uptick during the pandemic, it still pales in comparison to HBO and Netflix, with only 27 million subscribers.
So, if you're cool with ViacomCBS casting a line, Showtime Selects on Pluto TV seems like a solidBet. You can start streaming the channel today, with none of the pesky 7-day trial time limits that drive us bonkers! Enjoy the ride, folks!
- The future of Showtime is intertwining with technology as ViacomCBS reportedly makes some of its best shows available on Pluto TV, a free streaming service.
- Showtime's partnership with Pluto TV marks a strategic move, offering a glimpse into the tech industry's synergy and cross-promotion strategies.
- In the realm of free content, one can now access 1844001778 minutes (250 hours) of unfiltered original Showtime programming on Pluto TV's new channel, Showtime Selects.
- As Pluto TV's Showtime Selects becomes a permanent, ad-supported channel, some speculate that ViacomeCBS is strategically pursuing tech-savvy viewers to eventually upgrade to a full Showtime subscription.
