HBO announced on Wednesday that they will offer a stand alone streaming service similar to Netflix starting in 2015…
HBO will soon be available to everybody even if you don’t have cable or satellite service.
The cable giant announced on Wednesday that they would move forward with a streaming only service set to launch in 2015 that will make the network available to over 80 million homes. While details are still sketchy, it appears HBO is setting up for a Netflix type model offering their shows and service to viewers for a nominal fee per month as opposed to paying for an entire cable package just to get the network.
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO,” said Richard Pepler, HBO Chairman and CEO on Wednesday.
“So, in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them.”
HBO has long teased the possibility of offering a stand alone service similar to Netflix with the growing popularity of their own app, HBO GO. The service is currently offered only to HBO subscribers via cable and satellite with movies, documentaries and every episode of the dozens of different shows that have aired on the network.
That would mean new subscribers could have unlimited access to The Sopranos, The Wire, Six Feet Under, Game of Thrones, and dozens of other shows that are airing or have aired on the network.
There’s still a worry that HBO’s move will irritate their many cable partners, but in the long run being offered to a huge audience that’s already turning to Netflix and other streaming services more and more, this seems like a no brainer idea.
