How to Lower Your Showtime Costs
2026 Cost Reduction Guide
Current Pricing
Showtime costs $10.99 per month as of February 2026.
Showtime offers discounted renewal rates in the cancellation flow. Promotional offers typically appear automatically when canceling.
Discounts appear automatically during the cancellation flow. No need to call or chat.
Before you pay, do you already have Showtime?
Showtime is included free (or heavily discounted) with these plans. Check if you're double-paying:
Spotify Student Plan, includes Full access
Included free with eligible student plan
What Happens When You Cancel Showtime
How to cancel
Paramount+ → Account → Cancel Subscription
Steps (3 screens)
- 1Go to paramountplus.com/account
- 2Click 'Cancel subscription'
- 3Select reason for cancellation
- 4Review and confirm cancellation
What they'll try to keep you
In-flow discount offer?
✅ Yes
Win-back email after?
✅ Yes
Access after cancel
Access continues until end of billing period
Your data
Watch history and profiles retained for 12 months
Showtime is now bundled into Paramount+. If subscribed through Apple/Amazon, cancel through their subscription management instead.
You can lower your Showtime costs by switching to a cheaper plan, bundling with other services, or rotating subscriptions monthly. At $10.99/month, Showtime adds up to $131.88 per year, but most subscribers pay more than they need to. Here are the best strategies to reduce what you spend on Showtime in 2026.
Quick Wins
Showtime Subscription
Premium streaming service with original series, movies, and sports.
Showtime Price History
Tracking: Paramount+ with Showtime
| Date | Price |
|---|---|
| 2021-01 | $10.99 |
| 2023-06 | $11.99 |
| 2024-08 | $12.99 |
| 2025-01 | $12.99 |
| 2026-01 | $12.99 |
Price forecast
Showtime is now fully merged into Paramount+. Pricing will follow Paramount+ trajectory. The Skydance-Paramount merger may lead to changes.
Best time to subscribe
Paramount+ runs frequent promotions (50% off for 3 months). Also available as a Prime Video or Apple TV+ channel, sometimes with separate deals.
How to Pay Less for Showtime
Save up to $12.99/month with these proven strategies
Retention Offers (3)
Subscribe through Amazon Prime Video Channels
Varies
Paramount+ with Showtime as Prime Video Channel sometimes has separate promotional pricing
Cancel and wait for promo
Up to $6.50/mo
Paramount+ frequently offers 50% off for 2-3 months after cancellation
Annual plan
$2.17/mo
Annual Paramount+ with Showtime plan saves vs monthly billing
Hidden Discounts (2)
Student discount
Paramount+ offers 25% off for students with SheerID verification
Walmart+ bundle
Walmart+ members get Paramount+ Essential plan included free
Plan Downgrade Opportunity
Showtime standalone no longer exists, it's bundled into Paramount+ with Showtime tier
Churn & Return Strategy
Cancel now, wait 14 days, and get a win-back offer:
Paramount+ sends win-back emails within 2 weeks with promotional pricing
Delivered via email
Paramount+ sends win-back emails within 2 weeks with promotional pricing
Free Alternatives (2)
Pluto TV
Free ad-supported streaming from Paramount with some Showtime content
Tubi
Free ad-supported streaming with a large library
Best Strategy:
If you have Walmart+, Paramount+ Essential is included free. For Showtime content specifically, cancel and subscribe only when a new season of your show drops, then cancel again.
Do I actually need this streaming service?
Use this framework to evaluate whether Showtime is worth keeping.
Watching 10+ hours per month
Keep it, but optimize your tier. If you're not watching 4K content, downgrade from Premium to Standard.
Watching 4–10 hours per month
Calculate your cost-per-hour. At $15/mo and 6 hours, you're paying $2.50/hr, consider rotating services instead of keeping all year.
Watching less than 4 hours per month
Cancel and resubscribe only for specific releases. Most shows drop full seasons, subscribe for one month, binge, cancel.
Haven't opened the app in 30+ days
Cancel immediately. You're paying for nothing. You can always resubscribe later with no penalty.
Showtime vs Alternatives, Feature Comparison
Premium Streaming
| Feature | showtime | starz | mgm_plus | hbo_max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Price (Standalone) | $11.99/mo | $11.99/mo | $7.99/mo | $15.99/mo |
| Showtime via Paramount+ | Add $11.99/mo | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Signature Series | Billions, Homeland, Dexter | Power, Outlander | MGM originals | HBO max series |
| Sports Access | Boxing, MMA events | Limited sports | No sports | No sports |
| Movie Library | 1,000+ films | Limited films | 1,000+ films | 7,000+ titles |
Verdict: Best as add-on to Paramount+; standalone $11.99/mo harder to justify without Paramount bundle.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Showtime worth the price in 2026?
At $10.99/month, Showtime is worth it if you watch at least 4-5 hours per week. Compare the cost to movie theater tickets ($15-20 each) or cable TV ($80-150/month). If you watch less than 2 hours per month, consider canceling and rotating back when new content drops.
How can I get Showtime cheaper?
The easiest ways to lower your Showtime cost are: switch to an ad-supported tier if available (saves 40-60%), look for annual billing discounts (saves 15-20%), check if your phone carrier or internet provider includes it free, and ask about student or military discounts.
What are good alternatives to Showtime?
Free alternatives include ad-supported services like Tubi, Pluto TV, and Freevee. For paid alternatives, compare pricing across Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and Peacock, most offer similar content at different price points. Rotating between services saves the most money.
How do I cancel Showtime?
You can cancel Showtime through your account settings on their website or app. Most streaming services make cancellation straightforward, look for Account, then Membership or Subscription settings. Your access typically continues until the end of your current billing period.
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About Showtime: Premium streaming service with original series, movies, and sports.