Showtime reaches for the EchoStar subscribers

Showtime Networks is offering an interactive television channel through EchoStar Communications' Dish Network satellite provider, the company announced Friday. The channel, called Showtime Interactive 2.0, is programmed to automatically distinguish Showtime subscribers from nonsubscribers. Using the set-top box controller, Showtime subscribers can use the channel to view program listings, select DVR recordings, preview shows and watch video extras like behind-the-scenes clips and celebrity interviews.

Nonsubscribers can browse and preview content through Showtime Interactive 2.0, with the option to immediately subscribe to the television network, the company said. The option to open a subscription within minutes, Showtime hopes, will make its programming more accessible and visible to potential customers. Earlier this year, the company released Broadband Networks, an online game service that offers trial play, on-demand and subscription purchase options.