Show time

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Infobox radio tower icon
Show time
Station logo
TV station ( private law )
reception electric wire
Start of transmission March 7, 1978
owner CBS Corporation
List of TV channels
Website

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI) is an American cable TV - Network , which with Showtime in the United States since 1976, one of the oldest pay TV transmitter operates. Originally developed from Viacom , Showtime is now part of the CBS Corporation .

history

Showtime mainly shows feature films as well as self-produced television series and occasionally boxing competitions . The station started, originally as a service of the then Viacom , on July 1, 1976 in the regional cable network of Dublin (California) . On March 7, 1978, nationwide satellite broadcasting began as a direct competitor to HBO .

1979 Viacom sold 50% of Showtime to TelePrompTer , which was taken over two years later by Westinghouse Electric and sold its Showtime shares back to Viacom in 1982. The following year, Showtime were and The Movie Channel of Warner-Amex Satellite Entertainment for Showtime Networks, Inc. merged.

In December 1984 Showtime aired its first self-produced feature film, The Ratings Game by and with Danny DeVito . 1990 Showtime began Independent - short films to buy and as a premiere as part of their series of 30-minute movie to show on TV. One of the early premieres, the science fiction short 12:01 PM starring Kurtwood Smith , was even nominated for an Oscar . Showtime later expanded its purchases to include full-length feature films, e.g. B. Adrian Lynes ' critically acclaimed adaptation of Lolita .

In the early 2000s Showtime began to launch other multiplex channels such as Showtime Too , Showcase , Showtime Beyond and Showtime Extreme . There were also channels such as Showtime Family Zone , Showtime Next and Showtime Women , which were made exclusively available via the digital cable network for the first time. Today Showtime Networks also includes the stations The Movie Channel and Flix , and together with the Smithsonian Institution Showtime also operates the Smithsonian Networks .

Showtime was one of the first cable networks to introduce HDTV and Dolby Digital broadcasting . A few years ago they started offering a flat-rate subscription for video-on-demand in a pilot project, which is now available as Showtime On Demand as a regular offer.

In 2005 Showtime became a subsidiary of what is now CBS Corporation , the legal successor to the previous Viacom.

Programs (selection)

This is an incomplete list of the television series, mostly known in German-speaking countries, that Showtime produced itself.

Current series
Former series

Boxing

Showtime is the second largest pay-TV broadcaster in the USA, also shows professional boxing, but is significantly weaker than HBO and therefore often has to make do with fights by boxers, which HBO does not broadcast. Since the station occasionally takes individual boxers such as David Tua or Mike Tyson under contract and does not allow other stations to fight, the broadcast on HBO is prevented or significantly delayed.

Channel

National

Showtime has several channels in the United States, each with its own topic.

  • Showtime (also as HDTV): Series from in-house productions, Hollywood hits, sports
  • Showtime 2 (also as HDTV): series from in-house productions, sports
  • Showtime Showcase: feature films, selected series and specials
  • Showtime Beyond: feature films (science fiction, fantasy and horror)
  • Showtime Extreme: films and series (action, martial arts, thrillers, westerns)
  • Showtime Next: Documentaries, Music and Comedy
  • Showtime Family Zone: Family-friendly entertainment (adult-only programs)
  • Showtime Women: Targeted for the female audience
  • The Movie Channel (also called HDTV): feature films, cult classics and independent films
  • Smithsonian Channel: Science, Culture, and History
  • Showtime On Demand: Video-on-Demand

International

Showtime has also licensed its own stations or their names to other stations in some other countries.

Web links