Paramount+ with Showtime is no more: What is the name of the streaming service's new ad-free tier?
Paramount+ has long touted its association with Showtime as a selling point for its higher-priced premium tier. However, that is now changing, with the streaming service undergoing a rebrand and dropping the Paramount+ with Showtime tier, and instead simplifying its offerings to the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential, and the ad-free Paramount+ Premium.
This isn't because of Showtime content being removed from the service. Rather, a sampling of Showtime's programming has been added to the ad-supported Paramount+ Essential tier, thus diluting the distinction between the two tiers.
This is simply a branding change that does not affect the pricing of either the Essential or Premium tier, with Essential still costing $7.99 per month, and Premium still costing $12.99 per month. Furthermore, this change only affects internet streaming, with cable, satellite and live TV services retaining the Paramount+ with Showtime branding.
Paramount+ with Showtime first launched in 2022
The streaming service first launched its Paramount+ with Showtime subscription tier in August 2022. The service intended to use the massive, acclaimed library of Showtime content to bolster the value of its higher-tier subscription bracket.
In 2023, the streaming service had as many as four subscription tiers. There was Paramount+ Essential, Paramount+ Premium, Paramount+ Essential with Showtime, and Paramount+ Premium with Showtime.
This subscription model was greatly simplified in June of that year, resulting in just two subscription tiers: Paramount+ Essential and Paramount+ with Showtime.
With the further streamlining that's occurred in June 2025, Showtime content will be available for both the Essential and Premium tiers, although viewers will still need to subscribe to Paramount+ Premium for an ad-free experience and the complete Showtime library.
Paramount+ began life as CBS All Access
Paramount+ is the media conglomerate Paramount's answer to the streaming boom that was originally spearheaded by pioneers such as Netflix. But the service was originally CBS All Access, the first OTT streaming service launched by an established American broadcast network.
CBS All Access would be rebranded as Paramount+ in 2021, in an era were OTT streaming was beginning to eclipse traditional cable and network television as the dominant form service used by viewers. Under this rebranding, Paramount+ has aggressively pursued the production of original exclusives such as MobLand, Tulsa King and Halo.
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