Showtime Review 2023: Channels, Price, Add Ons, Features, and More

What is Showtime?

Showtime is well-loved and has been for many years, thanks to its wealth of programming -- including popular shows like Shameless, Homeland, Dexter, Yellowjackets, and more -- and easy-to-digest monthly price. 

For just $11/mo., subscribers get Showtime's complete library at their fingertips, so it's no wonder millions of people are already subscribing to this OTT (over-the-top) streamer. Ahead, get all the details on Showtime, including how much it costs, what you can watch there, and more.

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Though Showtime isn't the cheapest option for a premium channel or streaming service, it does offer a collection of original titles -- both past and current -- along with other favorite TV shows and movies. 

The real plus of Showtime is that it offers a 30-day free trial. While you might think that it's plenty of time to just get free content, it really is giving you time to get comfortable with the platform -- so you'll be convinced to stick around as a subscriber. Given the long trial and about average price point, we think that's pretty smart of Showtime to do.

Showtime vs. Showtime Anytime: What's The Difference?

Showtime and Showtime Anytime are both offered by the popular premium service, and both allow access to hit movies, original series, live TV, and more. Showtime is the company's streaming service, which is available when you sign up through Showtime or through another provider like Hulu or Prime Video. 

Showtime Anytime is an app that Showtime subscribers can use to stream movies and TV shows. It's only available for subscribers who signed up through their cable providers, but it's free for those viewers to use.

Showtime Content and Add-ons

In Showtime's library of content, you'll get Showtime East and Showtime West, which are the main channels in their respective time zones. There is also Showtime Extreme, which is home to all the hard-hitting action, including boxing, NFL docuseries, and action and sports movies like 1917, Total Recall, Hoosiers, Django Unchained, and more. There is also a family channel with children-appropriate content and also a women's channel, which celebrates women in film. 

Aside from a wide variety of popular TV shows and movies, Showtime has its own original programming. Some of the most loved TV shows -- both past and present -- on Showtime include the award-winning Homeland, as well as Shameless, Yellowjackets, Billions, Californication, Nurse Jackie, Queer as Folk, Masters of Sex, The L Word, On Becoming a God in Central Florida, The Chi, and more.

Showtime also plays host to late-night talk show Desus & Mero, while many comedians have seen their standup routines on Showtime, including Tig Notaro, Margaret Cho, Jay Mohr, Martin Lawrence, Nick Cannon, and many others. While some of these comedians can be found on other streaming services, these comedy specials are exclusive to Showtime and should be able to be reliably found on the app, Showtime Anytime.

If you want movies, Showtime also has a ton of those too. While you won't find as many original movies as you will TV shows, you'll still find a lot of favorites and award winners on this premium service. Right now, you can watch Zola, Titanic, Midsommar, Pulp Fiction, Beauty Shop, Obvious Child, Trainspotting, The Humans, and so much more. There's a little something for everyone -- from horror to thrillers, romance to drama.  

Showtime Sports Channels

Fans of boxing and MMA especially should strongly consider a Showtime subscription as this is where to find the best matches. Showtime hosts plenty of Bellator MMA matches, as well as championship boxing. There are sports documentaries to check out, too.

How much does Showtime cost?

You can subscribe to Showtime in a few different ways. If you subscribe directly through Showtime and use the app on one of your smart devices, prices start at $11/mo. on a month-to-month basis. If you decide to subscribe for a year upfront, you can pay $99/yr. to save $33/yr.

Showtime Overview

Showtime Bundles and Deals

Showtime normally costs $11/mo., but there are a few ways to save money on your subscription. First, you can save by taking advantage of the free trial. Showtime offers one of the longer free trials among premium streaming services. You can enjoy the service for 30 days before you'll have to pay, so you can get your first month for free.

Another way to save is through the Spotify, Hulu, Showtime bundle. You can pair your Spotify Premium Student account with a Hulu and Showtime for just $5/mo. That's a savings of about $22/mo. -- but it's only available to students.

Finally, you can save by signing up for the Paramount+ and Showtime bundle. The bundle starts at just $12/mo., which allows you to save 28 percent on your monthly subscriptions. This is quite the deal considering Paramount+ starts at $5/mo., while Showtime goes for $11/mo. It's like spending an extra dollar to get everything Paramount+ has to offer, including on-demand movies and TV shows, original series, and live TV, news, and sports.

Showtime Compared

Showtime is one of the most popular premium streaming services, but it's not the only one. Similar streaming services include Starz and HBO Max.

All three services have a few things in common. First, they all offer premium content that includes original series and popular movies. All three can be purchased as standalone services or as a part of another subscription, such as your cable provider or another streaming service like Hulu or Prime Video. 

There are also some key differences between the three services, and a few disadvantages to choosing Showtime. First, Showtime is the most expensive of the three services. Starz starts at $9/mo., while HBO Max starts at $10/mo. (with the option for an ad-free plan at $15/mo.). Meanwhile, another drawback of Showtime is that it has a smaller streaming library than its closest competitors.

However, the good news is that Showtime has the longest free trial of the three services. You can watch Showtime free for 30 days, compared to just seven days for Starz, while HBO Max doesn't even have a free trial at all.

Showtime Features

While Showtime doesn't offer its own DVR service, it does have a lot to like. For one, subscribers have access to Showtime originals when they're airing. Thanks to Showtime streaming, your subscription gives you access to either the West Coast or East Coast feed of Showtime's biggest titles through your device at the same time it's airing on TV. You can watch through the Showtime Anytime app on any of your supported devices. 

You can also stream Showtime on three different devices at the same time, which is a big plus for families. Even better, you can authorize up to five devices to download content (which is great for people with multiple tablets and phones).

Showtime Supported Devices

Showtime is widely supported by your favorite devices. You can watch Showtime on any of the following:

• Amazon Fire TV
• Amazon Fire TV Stick
• LeEco TV
• Nvidia Shield
• Sony Bravia
• Hisense TV
• Xiaomi MiBox
• Apple TV (third generation or higher)
• Portal TV
• LG Smart TV
• Playstation 4 and 5
• Roku Streaming Device
• Roku TV
• Samsung Smart TV
• Xbox One
• Xbox Series X/S
• Xfinity Flex
• Amazon Kindle Fire
• Android Phones and tablets
• Apple Phones and tablets
• Windows computer
• Mac computer
• Oculus devices

Is Showtime Worth It?

What we really like about Showtime is the variety of content it offers and the accessibility of it all. There are not only TV shows and movies -- including exciting originals like Yellowjackets, Dexter: New Blood, American Rust, Billions, and more -- but also documentaries and sports. This is a solid choice for an add-on channel to your existing service, plus you can stream it anytime on the Showtime Anytime app.