SHOWTIME(R) RELEASES NEW DRAMA "THE CHI" FOR EARLY SAMPLING

NEW YORK - December 15, 2017 - Starting today, SHOWTIME is giving viewers an early opportunity to sample the series premiere of the highly anticipated new drama THE CHI. The series was created and is executive produced by Emmy(R) winner Lena Waithe (Master of None), and executive produced by Academy Award(R), Emmy and Golden Globe(R) winner Common (Selma) and Elwood Reid (The Bridge, Hawaii Five-O) who also serves as showrunner. THE CHI explores the humanity behind the headlines sensationalizing the South Side of Chicago.

SHOWTIME is releasing THE CHI ahead of its on-air debut Sunday, January 7 at 10 p.m. ET/PT. Consumers can watch THE CHI series premiere for free now on YouTube, Facebook and SHO.com, as well as across multiple television and streaming providers' devices, websites, applications and authenticated online services and their free On Demand channels. In addition, the episode is available for free on computers through the SHOWTIME stand-alone service's website www.showtime.com.

SHOWTIME subscribers can also watch the premiere of THE CHI now on streaming, authenticated and on-demand platforms including SHOWTIME ON DEMAND(R) and SHOWTIME ANYTIME(R). Subscribers can also watch on the SHOWTIME stand-alone streaming service through Apple(R), Roku(R), Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung as well as via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Sony PlayStation(R) Vue and Amazon Channels. .

Produced entirely in its namesake city, THE CHI is a timely coming-of-age story centering on a group of residents who become linked by coincidence but bonded by the need for connection and redemption. The ensemble cast includes Jason Mitchell (Straight Outta Compton), Jacob Latimore (Sleight), Ntare Guma Mbaho Mwine (Queen of Katwe), Alex Hibbert (Moonlight), Yolonda Ross (Treme, The Get Down), Armando Riesco (Bull) and Tiffany Boone (The Following). Kevin (Hibbert) is the pre-teen who must step past shattered illusions and embrace the normal rites of childhood, while Brandon (Mitchell) the dreamer makes his own nearly impossible leap of faith to succeed in life and love with girlfriend Jerrika (Boone). Emmett (Latimore) is the carefree teen thrust into complex responsibility with guidance from his mother Jada (Ross), and Ronnie (Mwine) is the drifter whose struggle to love and be loved calls into question his every pursuit. Sonja Sohn (The Wire), Jahking Guillory (Kicks), and Steven Williams (The Leftovers) recur. In addition to Waithe, Common and Reid, Aaron Kaplan (Santa Clarita Diet, Divorce) serves as executive producer along with Rick Famuyiwa (Dope), who also directed the premiere episode, and Derek Dudley and Shelby Stone of Freedom Road Productions. The series is produced by Fox 21 Television Studios. To learn more about THE CHI, visit SHO.com and follow on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Join the conversation using #TheChi.

SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple(R), Roku(R), Amazon, Google, Xbox One and Samsung. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV Now, Sony PlayStation(R) Vue and Amazon Channels. The network's authentication service, SHOWTIME ANYTIME, is available at no additional cost to SHOWTIME customers who subscribe to the network through participating providers. Subscribers can also watch on their computers at www.showtime.com and www.showtimeanytime.com.