Why Showtime will release episodes of ‘The L Word: Generation Q’ early for streaming viewers

Showtime is trying to thread the needle between catering to its traditional pay-TV subscribers while appealing to streaming audiences. It's starting with a release from the ViacomCBS-owned, subscription-based TV network putting new episodes of “The L Word: Generation Q” on its streaming services two days before they air on linear TV. Read more below.

• Showtime has already seen streaming viewership begin to exceed linear viewership for its tentpole Sunday night original programming block.
• The return of in-person meetings for some vaccinated execs is more appealing than sitting in on another virtual conference. That’s not to say people won’t be attending Cannes but the excitement is more palpable for in-person business meetings, according to agency execs and industry observers in this week’s Digiday+ Marketing Briefing.
• Tech businesses are falling over themselves to arm employers and workforces with what's needed in a hybrid working world.
• Snapchat and TikTok have quickly gotten traction with brands and agencies. Read the latest Digiday Research.
• Tech giants and government regulators are cracking down on digital tracking, and the ad industry has failed to convince people of tracking's trade-offs, IPG's data and technology officer said in the latest episode of the Digiday Podcast.
• PBS has a "deluge" of content that needs to be strategically placed across online channels. Here's a look at how PBS does it in this Digiday+ Case Study.
• Nielsen's latest studies show the number of podcast listeners who tune in one to three times a month has grown 10% since 2018.