Showtime Offers Opioid Series ‘The Trade’ to Non-Subscribers

Showtime is offering the whole of The Trade, a five-part documentary series about the opioid epidemic, for free to non-subscribers. The network says it is the first time in its history that Showtime is giving a full series away to non-subscribers.

The full season of The Trade is available on YouTube, SHO.com and Showtime.com, as well as across multiple TV and streaming providers' websites, apps and On Demand channels.

The Trade airs its final episode March 2 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. It is executive produced and directed by Matthew Heineman.

The Trade deals with one of the most harrowing epidemics our country has ever seen,” said Vinnie Malhotra, senior VP, documentaries, unscripted and sports programming, Showtime Networks Inc. “By making this documentary available to the widest possible audience, we’re opening eyes, minds and hearts to the situation going on in our backyards. Matthew Heineman’s revelatory and timely series outlines the complicated and human layers of the opioid crisis, and we feel it’s our responsibility to share his findings beyond Showtime subscribers, in the hopes of educating and inviting real change.”

The Trade had its world premiere at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival. It is a production of Heineman’s Our Time Projects for Showtime. Pagan Harleman is executive producer and showrunner.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.