Showtime‘s linear network, which launched more than four decades ago during the early days of cable, will officially get a new name on January 8, 2024.
The network will be rebranded Paramount+ with Showtime. Parent company Paramount Global had announced the rebrand earlier this year, combining the previously separate Paramount+ and Showtime streaming apps into a single service under the new name.
A press release announcing the January date called Paramount+ with Showtime “the first of its kind multiplatform brand that integrates streaming and linear content.” Starting today, a launch campaign announcing the rebrand will air on Showtime owned and operated linear channels to drive awareness among viewers, the press release noted.
Original series from Showtime will continue to be available on the rebranded network. The slate includes premieres like A Gentleman in Moscow, the George Clooney-produced The Department and The Woman in the Wall as well as recurring staples like Fellow Travelers, The Chi, The Curse, Yellowjackets and Your Honor. The linear network will also add Paramount+ originals like Sexy Beast. Timed to the rebrand on January 8, a second season of Halo will premiere and a selection of Paramount+ shows will also enter the rotation, among them Mayor of Kingstown, Star Trek: Discovery and Wolf Pack.
Premium cable networks, which had a run of glory from the 1970s through the 2000s, helping to popularize the very concept of pay television and becoming vanguards of prestige TV, have faced existential challenges in the streaming era. HBO continues to produce award-winning fare but after initially being represented in the name of streaming service HBO Max, it now puts its programming on the service known as simply as Max. Starz is preparing for a spinoff from Lionsgate in early 2024 but plans to continue operating under its current name. Epix, which launched in 2009, recently rebranded as MGM+.
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