Showtime

What Showtime does

Showtime is a premium television content brand and subsidiary of Paramount Global (NASDAQ: PARA), operating as a content label within the broader Paramount+ streaming ecosystem. Founded in 1976 as a premium cable and satellite television network, Showtime historically competed with HBO in the premium scripted and sports programming space, developing a portfolio of original series including Yellowjackets, The Chi, Queer As Folk, and George & Tammy. Following the 2023 completion of the Paramount-Skydance merger and the subsequent integration of Showtime content into the Paramount+ streaming platform, Showtime transitioned from a standalone subscription service to a branded content layer within Paramount+.

Showtime's product offering spans original scripted series, documentaries (including the Kickback documentary on FIFA corruption), live sports programming (UFC, UEFA Champions League, Zuffa Boxing), and legacy programming such as Showtime at the Apollo. The underlying technology is a streaming video delivery platform integrated with the Paramount+ ecosystem, offering live TV streaming capabilities for sports and events, with distribution extending globally through Paramount+ apps and web. No proprietary AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or SDKs are disclosed in the available data. Content is organised across standard streaming categories including drama, comedy, documentary, music & specials, reality, sci-fi & fantasy, and sports.

Showtime's business model is subscription-based, with revenue flowing through Paramount+ subscription tiers on a monthly billing cadence. Ancillary revenue is generated from pay-per-view boxing event broadcasts, including major fights featuring athletes such as Floyd Mayweather. Showtime itself does not disclose standalone revenue; financial reporting is consolidated within Paramount Global. The customer base consists of consumer streaming subscribers across North America (US and Canada). Paramount's pending approximately $81 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced in 2026, would merge HBO and Showtime under a single corporate umbrella and represents the most significant strategic inflection point in Showtime's history.

Name

Showtime

Legal name

Showtime Networks Inc.

Website

https://sho.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Showtime is a premium television content brand and subsidiary of Paramount Global, offering original scripted series and live sports including UFC, UEFA Champions League, and boxing, distributed globally through the Paramount+ streaming platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Premium Television Streaming

NAICS

Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162), Television Broadcasting Stations (51612)

SIC

Cable & Other Pay Television Services (4841)

akta.pro primary industry

Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Network/Studio Streaming Channels (MPABAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sports OTT & League Pass Streaming Channels (MPABAHAJ), Sports Programming Syndication & Highlights Distribution (MPABAMAG)

Keywords

• Premium cable network
• Subscription video streaming
• Original scripted series
• Live sports broadcasting
• Premium television content

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Subscription Revenue: Recurring subscription fees from Paramount+ subscribers accessing Showtime content as part of the streaming service
2. Pay-Per-View Boxing Events: Revenue from broadcasting major boxing events including Floyd Mayweather fights and other championship bouts

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Showtime is a premium television brand that produces and distributes original scripted series (The Chi, Queer As Folk, Yellowjackets, George & Tammy), documentaries and docuseries, and live sports programming including UFC, UEFA Champions League, and boxing events. Content is delivered to consumers through integration with the Paramount+ streaming platform, with additional distribution via live TV streaming services and pay-per-view event broadcasts.

Product overview

Showtime is a premium television network and content brand now integrated with Paramount+. The offering consists of a streaming distribution layer (Showtime on Paramount+) providing access to original scripted series (The Chi, Queer As Folk, Yellowjackets, George & Tammy), documentary programming (Kickback), sports broadcasts (Showtime Boxing, UFC, UEFA Champions League, Zuffa Boxing), and legacy programming (Showtime at the Apollo). Following Paramount's acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, Showtime merged with HBO under unified corporate ownership, though the brand continues as a distinct content channel.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Showtime on Paramount+
• Standalone Showtime.com subscription
• The Chi
• Queer As Folk
• Yellowjackets
• George & Tammy
• Billions
• Kickback
• Showtime Boxing
• Zuffa Boxing pay-per-view
• UFC on Paramount+ with Showtime
• UEFA Champions League on Paramount+ with Showtime
• Showtime at the Apollo

Quantifiable outcome

• Yellowjackets Season 3 was Showtime's most-watched season ever
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• Warner Bros. DiscoveryflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Paramount announced plans to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery for approximately $81 billion. The merger will combine HBO and Showtime under a single corporate umbrella, ending the historical rivalry between the two premium TV networks. Robert Greenblatt commented that the merger 'warms my heart' as it brings together the two competitors.
• Paramount+flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerShowtime content is integrated into Paramount+ streaming platform, with Showtime shows and movies available to stream alongside Paramount+ original content. Content categories include drama, comedy, documentary, music & specials, reality, sci-fi & fantasy, and sports.
• UFCcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShowtime broadcasts UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) events as part of its sports programming lineup on Paramount+
• UEFAcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShowtime offers UEFA Champions League soccer coverage as part of its live sports content package
• Zuffa BoxingcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShowtime streams Zuffa Boxing events as part of its combat sports programming on Paramount+

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Max (HBO Max): Warner Bros. Discovery's premium streaming service built on HBO's prestige brand. Direct competitor in the premium streaming tier with overlapping original series, films, and select live sports (MLB, NBA) — and the explicit merger counterpart in the pending Paramount-WBD deal.
• Starz: Premium cable and streaming network offering original scripted series (e.g., Outlander, Power) targeted at adult audiences. Closest direct peer to Showtime by business model — premium subscription streaming with original programming — though smaller in scale and with limited live sports.
• HBO: Long-standing premium cable/streaming competitor to Showtime with a comparable mix of original prestige drama, documentaries, and films. Notably, HBO is being brought under the same corporate umbrella as Showtime via the pending Paramount-WBD acquisition, ending their historical rivalry.

Emerging players

• AMC+: Premium add-on streaming service from AMC Networks offering originals (The Walking Dead universe, Anne Rice adaptations) and library content. Smaller-scale premium streaming peer in the prestige/originals niche that Showtime pioneered.
• Apple TV+: Premium streaming service from Apple competing on prestige original content (Severance, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show) with deep cash-backing. Comparable by positioning at the premium end of the streaming market, though Apple TV+ lacks the sports rights portfolio and legacy cable distribution that Showtime brings.

Broad incumbents

• Netflix: Global streaming incumbent operating at vastly greater scale across original series, films, and live events (including the NFL, WWE Raw). Comparable in offering premium original streaming content, but with a much broader catalog and international footprint than Showtime.
• Disney+: Disney's flagship streaming service offering premium franchises (Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar) and live sports (ESPN integration). Competes for the same premium subscription dollars as Showtime, though anchored in family/family-adjacent IP rather than adult prestige drama.
• Peacock (NBCUniversal): Comcast/NBCUniversal's streaming service bundling original series, films, and live sports (NFL, Premier League, WWE). Comparable offering overlap with Showtime's premium-originals-plus-live-sports model, though broader in mass-market positioning.

Others

• Paramount+: Showtime's parent streaming platform and exclusive distribution channel. Not a peer but the principal platform through which Showtime reaches viewers; understanding Paramount+'s subscriber base and content strategy is essential to evaluating Showtime's distribution economics.

Regional players

• ESPN+: Sports-focused streaming service from Disney with UFC, NHL, and other live rights — directly comparable to Showtime's UFC and combat sports offering. Distinct because ESPN+ is sports-only with no scripted original programming, making it a complementary rather than direct substitute for Showtime's mixed content slate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Showtime
• Facebookfacebook.com/showtime
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/showtime-networks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments1 record

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Showtime