Showtime is coming to Roku and Apple in July and, unlike the current Showtime Anytime channel, you won't be required to subscribe through cable or satellite to access it. The standalone Showtime service will launch in time for the July 12th premieres of the new seasons of Ray Donovan, starring Liev Schreiber, and Masters of Sex, starring Michael Sheen and Lizzy Caplan, two critically-acclaimed hit series.
The Showtime service will stream both the Showtime East and Showtime West live feeds, and will provide access to the full Showtime video-on-demand library that includes Showtime Original Series, hit movies, documentaries, comedy specials and sports, including live championship boxing events. And it's all commercial-free.
Showtime is following HBO's lead in offering livestream and on-demand content without a cable or satellite TV subscription. Although HBO NOW is available as a standalone service, it is available only on Apple and is coming soon to Android and Chromecast. On Roku, HBO is currently available only as an add-on to the Sling TV basic package (or through the HBO GO channel if you subscribe to a participating cable/satellite TV provider).
Showtime is offering a 30-day free trial. Subscribe through the Roku channel or Apple app and you won't be charged if you cancel within 30 days. After that, you'll pay $10.99/month, which will be automatically charged to your or Roku or account. This is a few dollars cheaper than the $14.00/month that AT&T Uverse is currently charging for Showtime as a premium add-on, and less than the $15/month HBO charges for its HBO NOW service on Apple.
In addition to Roku streaming players and the Roku TV, you'll be able to watch Showtime on Apple TV, iPads and iPhones, and on your computer at www.showtime.com. Support for more devices is said to be coming soon. You'll be able to register up to 5 devices to a single Showtime account, and can stream Showtime through as many as 3 of those devices simultaneously. (The Showtime streaming service will only be accessible in the United States and its territories and possessions.)
For those of you who subscribe to Showtime through a participating cable or satellite TV provider, you'll still have access to Showtime Anytime, which offers the same content as the new standalone Showtime service.
More information on Showtime's new streaming service can be found here.
