Showtime to Launch Standalone Service

Remember how excited people got when HBO announced it was going to launch a standalone service, bringing its mega hit Game of Thrones to the unwashed masses who couldn't afford (or just didn't want to) subscribe to the channel via cable? Well, it looks like HBO's little brother Showtime has decided to throw its hat into the standalone ring as well.

Showtime (which is owned by CBS Corp., and already announced a standalone CBS channel for those who don't even want to get a basic cable package) will launch its new, as-yet-unnamed, streaming service in July. As with HBO Now, it will initially roll out via AppleTV and then move onto other platforms in the months that follow. While Showtime doesn't boast the cache that HBO currently has, it is still a major coup for the common man who doesn't want to be beholden to cable companies. Now, fans can watch episodes of Homeland, Shameless, and the upcoming return of Twin Peaks anyway they choose, for the small monthly fee of $10.99 (which is about $4 cheaper than HBO Now).