Buyer Database · Buyer / Distributor · Updated
Showtime
Showtime is a premium cable and streaming network doubling down on franchise IP, anchored by Dexter and Billions universe expansions, as it integrates with Paramount+ under Chris McCarthy's leadership.
Current mandate
Showtime is in the middle of a significant strategic realignment under Chris McCarthy, who is consolidating the network's identity around proven franchise IP as part of a broader integration with Paramount+. The clearest signal of this pivot is the straight-to-series order for The Department, a political espionage thriller adapted from the French drama The Bureau, with George Clooney attached as executive producer and director. McCarthy has publicly positioned the project as a brand-defining global thriller in the tradition of Homeland, signaling that Showtime's prestige drama ambitions remain intact even as the network's structure shifts.
The acquisition pattern over the past year reflects a deliberate narrowing of scope. Showtime has greenlit Dexter: Origins, a prequel series, and is actively developing additional Dexter franchise projects including character backstories such as the Trinity Killer, alongside a second season of Dexter: Resurrection. On the Billions side, up to four connected series are in development, targeting themes of wealth, ambition, and global finance, with projects including Billions: Miami, Billions: London, Millions, and Trillions. Simultaneously, the network has cancelled underperforming originals and removed more than 20 library titles to sharpen its Paramount+ offering. Overall deal activity in the most recent 30- and 90-day windows shows no new external acquisitions tracked by ScriptMatch, consistent with a network consolidating around internally developed franchise extensions rather than open-market pickups. The scripted roster still includes Yellowjackets and The Chi, with overall deals such as the one with Yellowjackets creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson reflecting continued investment in writer relationships.
Material reaching Showtime in the current environment travels primarily through established production partnerships and overall deals with writers already in the network's orbit. McCarthy has described his conversations with production partners as focused on franchise potential, suggesting that new projects are being evaluated against an existing IP framework rather than sourced through open calls. No unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracking data. The most visible route for outside writers is attachment to a producing partner or sales representative with an existing Showtime relationship, or alignment with the network's documented thematic priorities: global espionage, prestige crime, and stories built around wealth and elite power structures.
Signature peaks
- 4+ Billions, 3+ Dexter Franchise Offshoots in Dev — Showtime is expanding both its Billions and Dexter universes with multiple connected series simultaneously.
- The Department Straight-to-Series Order — George Clooney-produced espionage thriller ordered directly to series, bypassing the pilot stage.
- 20+ Library Titles Removed — More than 20 library titles cut as Showtime streamlines its catalog for the Paramount+ integration.
Mandate dimensions
- Genre focus
- drama, thriller, comedy
- Territory focus
- Not disclosed
- Budget tier (observed)
- Not disclosed
- Access pattern
- Every deal tracked by ScriptMatch in the current window flows through established production partnerships or overall writer deals, such as the overall deal with Yellowjackets creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Chris McCarthy has described new development conversations as focused on production partners who can identify franchise potential, and the straight-to-series order for The Department arrived via a high-profile producing attachment rather than an open-market submission; no unsolicited pathway is documented in ScriptMatch's tracking data.
- Deal structure
- Showtime structures its projects primarily as straight-to-series orders and overall writer deals, with franchise extensions developed internally rather than acquired on the open market; budget terms are not publicly disclosed in the deals tracked by ScriptMatch.
Recent acquisitions
-
Dexter: Resurrection (Season 2)
-
Dexter: Resurrection — Season 2
-
Dexter: Resurrection Season 2
-
Gattaca (TV series in development)
-
Similar overall deal with Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson
-
The Department (straight-to-series order)
Market context
With four Billions offshoots in development and a straight-to-series order for The Department, Showtime is betting its future on tentpole franchises rather than one-off originals.
Showtime is in the middle of a significant strategic realignment under Chris McCarthy, who is consolidating the network's identity around proven franchise IP as part of a broader integration with Paramount+. The clearest signal of this pivot is the straight-to-series order for The Department, a political espionage thriller adapted from the French drama The Bureau, with George Clooney attached as executive producer and director. McCarthy has publicly positioned the project as a brand-defining global thriller in the tradition of Homeland, signaling that Showtime's prestige drama ambitions remain intact even as the network's structure shifts.
Common questions about Showtime
Does Showtime accept unsolicited scripts?
ScriptMatch's tracking data documents no unsolicited submission pathway for Showtime. Every deal observed in the data flows through established production partnerships, overall writer deals, or attachments to existing franchise IP. Chris McCarthy has described his development conversations as focused on partners who can identify franchise potential, which suggests new material is evaluated within existing relationships rather than through open calls. Writers without representation or a producing partner attachment have no documented route in the current data.
What budgets does Showtime typically work at?
Showtime operates at the premium cable and streaming tier, where budgets for scripted drama are not publicly disclosed in most deals tracked by ScriptMatch. The network's current slate, anchored by franchise extensions of Dexter and Billions alongside the George Clooney-produced The Department, points to high-end production values consistent with prestige television. No specific per-episode or series budget figures appear in ScriptMatch's current data for Showtime projects.
What festivals does Showtime source from?
Showtime's tracked acquisition activity does not show a pattern of festival-driven pickups in the current data. The network's recent moves, including straight-to-series orders and franchise extensions developed internally, suggest that sourcing happens primarily through production partner conversations and overall writer deals rather than festival markets. ScriptMatch has not documented Showtime acquisitions traced to Sundance, TIFF, or comparable markets in the most recent tracking window.
How do I get my script in front of Showtime?
Based on ScriptMatch's observed deal data, the most documented route is through an existing production partner or writer with an overall deal at the network, such as the overall deal Showtime holds with Yellowjackets creators Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson. Chris McCarthy has publicly framed new development conversations around franchise potential, so projects that connect to Showtime's established IP priorities, prestige crime, global espionage, and elite power dynamics, are most likely to find traction through a repped or partner-attached pitch.
What genres is Showtime currently acquiring?
Showtime's current mandate centers on prestige crime drama, global espionage thrillers, and stories built around wealth and elite power. The Billions universe expansions target themes of boundless ambition, rule-breaking elites, and global finance hubs. The Department is positioned as a brand-defining espionage thriller. The Dexter franchise extensions cover crime procedural and psychological thriller territory. Yellowjackets and The Chi round out the active scripted roster with survival drama and urban ensemble drama respectively.
Is Showtime currently active in the market?
Showtime's ScriptMatch activity metrics show no new external deals tracked in the most recent 30- or 90-day windows, consistent with a network in a consolidation phase rather than an open-market acquisition mode. The network's energy is directed inward, toward franchise extensions of Dexter and Billions and the production of The Department. The integration with Paramount+ is ongoing, and the cancellation of underperforming originals signals a tightening of the slate rather than an expansion of acquisition activity.
Adjacent buyers in this lane
- Beta Cinema — Beta Cinema is a Munich-based international sales agent specializing in arthouse and literary-adapta
- Starz — Starz is a premium cable and streaming network doubling down on wholly owned scripted drama and inte
- Cineflix Rights — Cineflix Rights is a genre-focused international distributor and co-production financier specializin
- Filmax — Filmax is a Spanish distributor and co-producer with a long track record in genre cinema, currently
Related reading
Match your script to Showtime
This is a public snapshot of Showtime, kept current from trade-press signals. Inside ScriptMatch, upload your script to see whether Showtime fits, why, and exactly how to reach them. Start a card-required 7-day trial or try the no-card buyer-match tool.