Showtime Enters Canada

TORONTO/LOS ANGELES: A new deal signed between Bell Media and CBS Corporation will bring the Showtime brand to Canada for the first time ever.

The exclusive, landmark agreement sees hundreds of hours of past, present and future Showtime programming being made available across Bell Media platforms in English and French. This includes the streaming service CraveTV and the pay-TV channel The Movie Network.

CraveTV will launch a new Showtime-branded environment, featuring series and specials. At launch, the lineup will include The Affair, Ray Donovan, Penny Dreadful, Weeds, Nurse Jackie and other originals. This comes alongside a slate of music, documentary and comedy specials. The Movie Network will add a Showtime-branded programming block later this year.

“This new partnership with CBS Corporation illustrates Bell Media’s commitment to provide additional value to subscribers of CraveTV and The Movie Network, while significantly extending CraveTV’s advantage over its streaming competitors,” said Kevin Crull, the president of Bell Media. “Showtime has clearly become one of TV’s preeminent brands, and its slate of world-class and award-winning scripted and unscripted series, documentaries and specials guarantee our subscribers more of the premium TV they want on the platform of their choice.”
 
“The Showtime premium brand is growing in stature around the world as well as in the U.S., with acclaimed, highly successful programming that will stand out anywhere,” said Armando Nuñez, the president and CEO of the CBS Global Distribution Group. “We’re excited to expand this business in a major way with Bell Media and shine a big spotlight on Showtime in Canada.”
 
“This is a great moment in the history of Showtime, when for the first time our award-winning programming will be distributed and aggressively marketed as one brand beyond the United States,” added David Nevins, the president of Showtime Networks. “This groundbreaking new deal was driven by the depth and breadth of our critically acclaimed original series. Bell Media, with their incredible range of platforms, is uniquely positioned to present Showtime to Canadian audiences in whatever form they choose to watch us.”