What you need to know
- The Showtime and Paramount+ Apple TV Channels bundle may be ending.
- Subscribers to the bundle are reporting refunds and an "expired" subscription.
Anyone who signed up for the Paramount+ and Showtime bundle via Apple TV Channels might be in for an unpleasant surprise.
Spotted by MacRumors, a number of subscribers to the bundle have reported that their subscription has been refunded and now showing as "expired," indicating that the bundle may no longer be valid.
A large number of subscribers on Reddit, Twitter, and the MacRumors forums are reporting billing errors for the bundle, where the $9.99 per month fee has failed to renew. The subscriptions tab of affected accounts is reportedly showing the bundle as "expired."
Even worse, people are struggling to get a straight answer out of Apple. When asked if it was in fact expired, some from Apple Support have said that it is actually just a billing error rather than an end of the promotion.
Users flagging the issue seem to be receiving different responses from Apple support, with some being told that the billing error was a fixable mistake and others being told that the bundle was a limited offer for one year only. Most users still seem to be able to access the streaming services, but the billing rejections and "expired" phraseology appear to suggest that their subscription will not renew. Apple or ViacomCBS, the owner of Paramount+ and Showtime, has not given an official comment.
The offer, which launched in August of last year, allowed people to subscribe to both Paramount+ (CBS All Access at the time) and Showtime for just $9.99 per month. It's still unclear if it is in fact a billing error or an end of the promotional bundle. We will update this article if Apple provides clarification around this.
If it is expired, it would be another hit against Apple TV Channels. HBO just removed its service from Channels last week, now exclusively directing subscribers to the HBO Max app.
If you want to continue to enjoy Paramount+ and Showtime in the best quality possible, check out our list of the Best TVs for Apple TV 2021.
