Showtime Networks, Inc. (SNI) is the corporate division of media conglomerate CBS Corporation.

The company was established in 1983 as Showtime/The Movie Channel, Inc. after Viacom and Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment (now MTV Networks) merged their premium channels, Showtime and The Movie Channel respectively, into one division. In 1984, American Express sold their interest in Warner-Amex to Warner Communications (now Time Warner) making Warner the new half-owner of Showtime/TMC. In 1985, Warner sold its half-interest to Viacom, making the company wholly owned division of Viacom. In 1988, the company was renamed Showtime Networks, Inc.^[1]

SNI along with CBS, The CW Television Network (formerly UPN), Viacom Outdoor, Spelling Television, CBS Television Studios (formerly CBS Productions, Paramount Television and CBS Paramount Television), CBS Television Distribution (formerly Paramount Domestic Television, CBS Paramount Domestic Television and King World), CBS Studios International (formerly CBS Paramount International Television), Simon and Schuster and other entities became part of CBS Corporation when CBS officially split from Viacom in December 2005. SNI managed the CBS, Robert Redford and NBC Universal joint venture Sundance Channel until 2008, when it was sold to Cablevision's Rainbow Media.

Showtime Networks oversees the operation of the following TV network brands:

• Showtime
  • Showtime 2 (formerly SHOTOO)
  • Showcase (formerly Showtime 3)
  • Showtime Extreme
  • Showtime Beyond
  • Showtime Next
  • Showtime Family Zone
  • Showtime Women
• The Movie Channel
  • The Movie Channel Xtra
• Flix
• Smithsonian Networks

• Showtime Women, Showtime Family Zone and Showtime Next are digital cable services of Showtime and are not available on DirecTV and Dish Network.

• Flix is only available to DirecTV and other satellite systems. Flix was formerly carried on cable systems (as a premium service) in the early and mid 1990s. Flix is now considered a specialty premium service to satellite customers who subscribe to Showtime Unlimited. There are still cable providers that do carry Flix as a premium service with Showtime.

In 2008, Showtime Networks was honored at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Advanced Media Technology for Best Use of Commercial Advertising on Personal Computer for the companion website to the series The L Word.

[edit] Unprecedented Campaign

In one of the largest content distribution campaigns ever done to launch a new original series, Showtime Networks Inc. announced on 1/12/09 that the premiere episode of United States of Tara is now available on more than a hundred multi-platforms, which translates into a reach of 170 million users - as part of the network's launch campaign to promote the series premiere on SHOWTIME this Sunday, January 18th starting at 9pm ET/PT.

As an added bonus, Showtime Networks is making available the season premiere episodes of The L Word as it starts its final season and Secret Diary of A Call Girl to all the participating platforms day and date with their January 18, 2009 premiere.

All three programs will be available online on the major entertainment, social networking and blogging destinations, including cable, telco and satellite affiliate broadband portals, on mobile phones, and on Free On Demand platforms. Example of these partners include: the largest entertainment portals such as TV.com, Yahoo, YouTube, MSN, Fancast, Veoh, EW.com, Blockbuster.com, CinemaNow, TVGuide.com and Netflix as well as additional sites via the CBS Audience Network; social networking sites such as Facebook and Bebo; and top entertainment blogs such as BestWeekEver.com, Gawker, Pink Is The New Blog and PopBytes. The episodes will also be available on mobile phones through MobiTV, Joost's iPhone App, and on CBS Mobile on Verizon's V-Cast Mobile TV and AT&T Mobile TV via MediaFLO; and via podcast from iTunes and Zune. In addition, the first episode of United States of Tara will be available online in HD on SHO.com and TV.com.

There are 24 different cable, telco and satellite providers participating in the campaign, beginning with the first episode of United States of Tara on broadband and Free On Demand 10 days before its premiere. Among them: AT&T, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Insight, Mediacom, NCTC affiliates, RCN, Time Warner, Verizon and DirecTV. DirecTV will also air the episode on its linear channel The 101. In addition, the episode can be seen in HD on Free On Demand as well as on The 101. Source: [1]

[edit] References

1. ^ Variety June 7, 2001 25 memorable moments in Showtime's 25-year history

[edit] External links