[SAN FRANCISCO] Premium channel Showtime said on Wednesday it would launch a streaming service in July, offering movies, original series and sports programming to subscribers without cable subscriptions via desktop computers and Apple devices.

The announcement by Showtime, which is owned by CBS, came a few months after HBO launched a standalone online TV service via Apple's streaming media player - appealing to "cord cutters" ready to ditch their costly cable subscriptions.

Showtime said it will release an application that will let people in the United States stream sports, films, original series like Homeland and other offerings to iPhones, iPads, Apple TV devices, or desktop computers for US$11 monthly.

HBO - which offers award-winning shows include Game Of Thrones and Veep - entered the streaming-only video market dominated by Netflix with HBO Now, which was priced at US$14.99 per month for its April 12 launch.

Apple has had its streaming media player since 2007, and the addition of HBO and Showtime promised to increase the appeal of the device, especially for consumers who want to end cable or satellite subscriptions.

The Apple TV box competes with others in the market such as Roku and Amazon Fire, as well as services from Microsoft and Sony.

AFP