Not to be outdone by those clowns over at HBO, Showtime will also offer some sort of cable-free, standalone streaming service.
That’s according to CBS head Les Moonves, who made the announcement at the Deutsche Bank Securities 2015 Media, Internet & Telecom Conference. He said that we can expect it in “the not-too-distant future,” but didn’t provide a solid timeframe.
From /film:
“The days of the 500 channel universe are over,” declared Moonves. Although cable and satellite distributors have been “skeptical” of standalone streaming and a la carte offerings, he acknowledged, “there’s been a bit of interest” lately. “I think the floodgate is now open.” He added that he has already been in conversations with “the normal suspects” about standalone Showtime streaming.
Cord cutting isn’t a foreign concept to CBS. Last October, the network launched CBS All Access, which offers full current seasons to over a dozen CBS shows and past seasons of more series. It also lets users livestream local CBS channels – all for $5.99 a month.
You’d have to think that a standalone Showtime service would be a bit more expensive.
HBO, of course, just made its big leap into this arena, choosing to launch its standalone streaming platform HBO NOW at the big Apple Watch event in Cupertino. That’s because Apple and HBO came to an exclusivity deal – one that will last for at least three months for new digital partners.
Image via Showtime
