Showtime Standalone Streaming Service Launches in July

Showtime is officially gearing up to cut the cord.

The premium network's parent company CBS on Wednesday announced that its new standalone Showtime streaming service, quietly tipped last month, will arrive in early July, with Apple as its first partner. The new Showtime streaming service isn't getting a fancy new name; it will simply be called "Showtime." Its launch will coincide with the new seasons of Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex, which premiere on Sunday, July 12.

In a statement, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, Eddy Cue, said subscribing to the new Showtime streaming service will be as easy as "buying an app."

U.S. users will be able to subscribe right on their iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Apple TV device — no cable or satellite plan needed — and begin watching Showtime right away. The service is priced at $10.99 a month, and subscribers will be able to view content on all their Apple gadgets, as well as online at Showtime.com. CBS said it plans to announce additional platforms and providers soon.

Showtime Chairman and CEO Matthew Blank said the new service is all about making the network more accessible. "At Showtime, we're excited to offer consumers the opportunity to subscribe in new ways, by simply having an Internet connection," Blank said. "Our intent is to make Showtime available to viewers via every manner possible, giving them an enormous amount of choice in accessing our programming."

Meanwhile, CBS Corporation President and CEO Leslie Moonves added that the new standalone streaming service opens up Showtime to "tens of millions of potential new subscribers."

"Across CBS, we are constantly finding new ways to monetize our programming by capitalizing on opportunities presented by technology," Moonves said.

Showtime is following the lead of HBO, which in April launched its own standalone streaming service, HBO Now, also with Apple as a launch partner. At I/O, Google said HBO Now will soon arrive on Android.

CBS also has All Access, which offers thousands of episodes of current and classic shows on demand for $5.99 a month, meaning you no longer need a cable package to watch shows like The Big Bang Theory and NCIS.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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