The big cable giants have decided to duke it out for the cord-cutter. Merely months after HBO introduced its standalone online TV streaming service called HBO Now, which costs $15 per month, Showtime today launched a similar service of its own but for less than what HBO is charging customers. Showtime’s service doesn’t have a new name, it’s just called Showtime, and it will be launched on Sunday, July 12th. It costs $10.99 per month while HBO Now costs $15 per month.
$10.99 per month gives subscribers access to all back catalog of Showtime content as well as its current selection of movies and live streams of the linear network.
The service can be accessed through the Showtime apps for iOS and Apple TV, subscribers will also be able to tune it through the web browser. New subscribers will be given a 30 day trial.
Even though Showtime’s service is priced lower than HBO Now and that might play a major part in winning subscribers, it’s content is nowhere near as popular or addictive as HBO’s, which just might be one of the reasons why it has decided to compete on price.
CBS, which owns Showtime, said today that it will provide more information about additional availability of Showtime in the near future. Sure enough an app will be released for Android, and like HBO, it may even link up with Sling TV to provide the channel as an add-on to subscribers of Dish’s online TV streaming service.
It’s shaping up to be a pretty good year for cord-cutters.