Showtime is a
subscription television brand used by a number of channels and platforms around the world, but primarily refers to a group of channels in the
United States. As of August 2005, Showtime's programming is available to around 13 million subscribers in the United States.
[money.cnn.com/2005/08/26/news/fortune500/hbo_showtime/]
Showtime primarily shows
motion pictures as well as some original programming and occasional
boxing and
MMA matches.
History
Showtime, originally a service of
Viacom, went on the air on
July 1,
1976, first shown on a local cable system in
Dublin, California.
[Corporate profile: Showtime] Its first program was
Celebration, a concert special featuring
Rod Stewart,
Pink Floyd and
ABBA.
[Variety June 7, 2001 25 memorable moments in Showtime's 25-year history]
