'Episodes' Live Stream: How to Watch Season 5 Online

Season 5 of Showtime’s “Episodes,” the final season of the series, will premiere August 20, with new episodes airing every subsequent Sunday. Whether you want to watch every new episode live online as it airs or want to watch all the old episodes on-demand, there are a handful of different options, even if you don’t have a cable subscription.

The first option is to watch via Showtime Anytime, the company’s standalone streaming service, but in some particular cases there are going to be alternatives that make more sense for certain viewers.

Most notably, if you have Amazon Prime or want to start a free 30-day trial of Amazon Prime, it will be easier to watch Showtime through Amazon.

Or, if you’ve gotten rid of cable but still want a full package of channels, a better option may be an over-the-top streaming service, which provides access to a handful of channels–including Showtime–for a monthly fee. In that case, there a couple of different options: Sling TV is going to offer the cheapest price point, while PlayStation Vue also offer different pros and cons.

Every one of the above options allows you to watch a live stream of Showtime as well as all of the on-demand content, which includes the first four seasons of “Episodes” and will have every Season 5 episode the day after it airs.

Here’s a complete rundown of what all these live streaming services provide, and how to sign up to start watching “Episodes” through each of them:

If You Have Amazon Prime

You will need subscriptions to two services: Amazon Prime, which gives you access to all of Amazon’s video library, and the Showtime add-on, which gives you access to all of Showtime’s on-demand movies and TV shows, as well as live TV.

If you already have an Amazon Prime or Amazon Prime Video account, you can click here to sign up for the Showtime add-on. The service costs $8.99 per month, and you’ll need to enter your payment information, but if you cancel before seven days, you won’t be charged.

If you don’t have Amazon Prime, you can click here to start a free trial of both Amazon Prime and the Showtime add-on. Amazon Prime has three different pricing options (Amazon Prime for either $10.99 per month or $99 per year, or you can get just Prime Video for $8.99 per month) and comes with a 30-day free trial, while Showtime has a seven-day free trial and is $8.99 per month after that.

Once signed up, you can then return to Amazon’s website to watch any “Episodes” episode or live Showtime TV. You can also watch via your phone, tablet or streaming device via the Amazon Video app. You can click here for a complete list of compatible devices.

Over the Top Streaming Services

If you’ve cut the cable cord but still want a bundle of TV channels in addition to Showtime, one of the following over-the-top streaming services will be your best option:

Cheapest Option: Sling TV

If price is your No. 1 concern when picking an OTT streaming service, Sling TV is the way to go. You can choose either the “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” as your base bundle for $20 or $25 per month, respectively, then you can and on Showtime–which includes on-demand content as well as live TV of all of the Showtime channels–for another $10 per month.

With that in mind, here’s a rundown of what “Sling Orange” plus the Showtime add-on includes, and how to sign up for a free trial:

Total Channels Included: 35-plus, including Showtime, Showtime 2, Showtime Showcase, Showtime Beyond, Showtime Next, Showtime Women and Showtime Family. You can find the complete channel list right here

Price: $30 per month

Extras: Watch on one device at once (“Sling Blue” gets you three devices at once); 50 hours of cloud DVR is $5 per month extra (restrictions with certain channels)

Free Trial: 7 days

How to Sign Up & Watch:

1. Click here to go to the Sling TV website

2. Click on “Watch Now 7 Days Free” and then create an account

3. Select the channel package and add-ons you want. You can choose either the “Sling Orange” or “Sling Blue” base bundle. Showtime can be added to either.

4. Enter your payment information. The “Sling Orange” package is $20 per month, while the Showtime add-on is another $10 per month. If you cancel your subscription within seven days of signing up, you will not be charged

5. Download the Sling app on your computer or mobile device and begin watching TV. If you’re interested in watching Sling TV on a mobile or streaming device, you can do so via their app, which is free to download. You can click here for a full list of compatible devices

Most Streams At Once: PlayStation Vue

Showtime is available through PlayStation Vue’s “Ultra” base bundle at $74.99, but it can also be added as a standalone channel to any of the company’s packages. As such, the cheapest option through PS Vue is the “Access” bundle ($39.99) plus the Showtime add-on ($10.99), which will run you $50.98 per month.

The price point is certainly well above Sling’s, but f you’re willing to pay extra, there are some advantages, such as included DVR and the ability for users to watch on five separate devices at once, which is more than any other service.

Here’s a look at the “Access” bundle plus Showtime add-on:

Total Channels Included: 45-plus, including Showtime. You can find the complete channel list here

Price: $50.98 per month

Extras: Watch on five different devices at once; cloud DVR (restrictions with certain channels)

Free Trial: 5 days

How to Sign Up & Watch:

1. Click here to go to the PlayStation Vue website

2. Click on “Start Free Trial” and then create an account

3. Select the channel package you want. There are four different base bundles. Showtime is included in “Ultra”, or Showtime can be added as a standalone channel to any of the bundles

4. Enter your payment information. “Access” is the cheapest base bundle at $39.99 per month, and Showtime is $10.99 per month extra. If you cancel your subscription within five days of signing up, you will not be charged

5. Return to the PlayStation Vue website to start watching on your desktop. You can also watch via the PlayStation Vue app, which is available via a handful of different mobile or streaming devices. You can click here for the complete list of compatible devices

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