Last we heard from Showtime, the CBS-owned network had just finished launching a Showtime Anytime app specifically for Roku customers in late February, but many were frustrated to learn that they couldn’t access the app because their cable or satellite service refused to support the service.
There’s been no other news of the sluggish TV Everywhere rollout until this week, when Showtime announced that it has developed and launched a new Showtime Anytime app to the Xbox 360 platform.The announcement has a double-edged nature akin to the anticlimactic Roku app launch: the app is available for free to 360 users who are subscribers of both Xbox Live and Showtime (via participating television providers), but Xbox One users can’t access the app yet, and they’ll need to wait until sometime “later this year” before they can, according to the official press release from Showtime.
Showtime’s latest extension of its TV Everywhere services is supported by the Xbox 360’s Kinect voice and gesture controls, which allow the user to browse and watch their favorite Showtime content without the traditional remote or game controller. The new app allows its users to watch episodes from current and past seasons of Showtime series such as Homeland, Dexter, Ray Donovan, Masters of Sex, Penny Dreadful, Californication, House of Lies, Web Therapy, Episodes, and Nurse Jackie. In addition to Showtime original series, the app also opens up a wide array of feature-length blockbuster films, sports programs, documentaries and unique specials.
The app brings a handful of useful special features to its users, including the resuming of programs previously watched on computers, mobile or other streaming media devices, and the “MyList” feature in which users can save their favorite programs for later viewing.
Cable and satellite service providers that currently support the Showtime Anytime app include AT&T U-verse, Blue Ridge Communications, Bright House Networks, Cablevision’s Optimum TV, CenturyLink Prism, Charter (who opened up support for the service in March), Comcast Xfinity, Cox Communications, DIRECTV, Google Fiber, Grande Communications, MCTV, Mediacom, Time Warner Cable, and Verizon FiOS.
Xbox 360 owners without a Showtime subscription can still give the new app a try – every Live subscriber is given a free trial of sorts that allows them to watch one free full episode of certain select Showtime series.
