ViacomCBS, parent company of both Showtime and Paramount+, has announced their plans to bundle the two channel’s streaming services just ahead of Showtime’s Dexter revival series this Fall. While it’s not known how long the bundle will last, or what the package’s final pricing will be, the initial promotion of both services for $10 a month (or $13 for the ad-free option) is available to sign up for until October 20.
According to Deadline, the move comes as no surprise, as “ViacomCBS has been clear about its intention to pursue a range of bundles, which has been a successful strategy for Disney during the recent streaming boom.” In fact, just last month ViacomCBS set forth a joint venture with Comcast for SkyShowtime in Europe, and it seems likely they’ll find ways to incorporate their other services — such as Noggin and BET+ — into bundles as well.
Following the announcement of this “powerhouse bundle,” ViacomCBS streaming CEO Tom Ryan stated:
This powerhouse bundle gives us the opportunity to connect ViacomCBS’ diverse and differentiated cross-genre content slate with even more consumers. Paramount+ and Showtime are both experiencing tremendous growth and momentum, and we expect this competitively priced bundle to only further expand the reach of both services.
Considering ViacomCBS reported its total streaming subscriber base increased by 6.5 million earlier this year, ultimately causing the company to surpass 42 million subscriptions total, it seems like a pretty apt statement to make.
In addition to helping to get more eyes on CBS’s variety of shows and channels, the current package actually helps out consumers quite a bit as well, as those who are currently paying for the two separately are spending between $5 and $10 a month on Paramount+, while Showtime is set at $11. If you’re one of the users currently paying for one of both of the services, now’s a perfect time to take advantage of this new offer and get two of CBS’s biggest streamers for the price of one and just ahead of some of the Fall’s biggest shows.
