Showtime standalone video service coming to Apple in July
Cord cutters will get another weapon for their arsenal when the long-awaited standalone Showtime service hits Apple devices in July.
The service, simply called Showtime, will cost $10.99 monthly and be available on Apple TV, as well as iPhones, iPads and iPod touch devices, and on computers via the Web.
Additional platforms and providers will be announced soon, CBS CEO Les Moonves and Showtime CEO Matt Blank said in an announcement Wednesday.
"Going over-the-top means Showtime will be much more accessible to tens of millions of potential new subscribers," Moonves said.
Added Blank: "At Showtime, we're excited to offer consumers the opportunity to subscribe in new ways, by simply having an Internet connection. Our intent is to make Showtime available to viewers via every manner possible, giving them an enormous amount of choice in accessing our programming, starting with the season premieres of our award-winning series Ray Donovan and Masters of Sex."
The service's launch in early July is timed for the new seasons of those two series, which return on July 12.
Subscribers will be able to view the east and west coast feeds of Showtime and have on-demand access to all seasons of the network's series — Homeland, Dexter, etc. — and other movies and sports programming. Consumers can try a 30-day free trial.
The plan for a service and even the deal with Apple has hardly been a secret. Moonves has talked about a planned standalone Showtime service nearly a year ago. And last week, at the Code Conference, he met with Apple exec Eddy Cue and said that the company would likely do a deal with Apple to bring the service to Apple TV.
"Apple TV is trying to change the universe a little bit as did Sling, as did Sony. What Apple will offer (is) a more select group (of channels) for a lower price," Moonves said at the time.
In Wednesday's announcement, Cue said in a statement that "we're excited to offer Apple customers Showtime's live channels and extensive on demand library of great TV shows and movies, without a cable or satellite subscription."
Using Apple devices, he said, "customers will now be able to subscribe to Showtime directly and instantly start viewing their favorite programming with the same simplicity as buying an app."
Three months ago, Apple landed HBO Now, that premium network's standalone service, as a virtual exclusive. It's also available on Optimum Online and is coming to Android and Google Chromecast soon.
Follow Mike Snider on Twitter: @MikeSnider