HBO has had several years of practice with streaming its HBO Go product, but things are about to get a lot more complicated when it launches its standalone streaming service in 2015. So who does the cable network turn to for help with rolling out this new offering? Major League Baseball, of course. [More]
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DirecTV’s HBO Contract Indicates It Could Sell Standalone HBO Go
By 12.4.14
There are several mysteries surrounding the impending 2015 launch of HBO’s standalone streaming video service: Will it be the same as HBO Go? What will it cost? Do I have to buy it through my cable company? HBO hasn’t given any answers to these questions, but recent news about the network’s contract with DirecTV appears to indicate that even the satellite services may be selling the service. [More]
HBO Hints You Might Be Paying Cable Company For Standalone HBO Go
By 11.24.14
It’s been more than a month since HBO confirmed its long-awaited plans to launch an online-only version of the premium TV network that wouldn’t require a cable subscription. While there are still no real details about exactly what customers are getting or how much they want to pay, it does look like you’ll be ordering the service through the same cable company you’re trying to get away from. [More]
With Standalone Showtime Service, Will 2015 Be The Year Of The Cord-Cutter?
By 11.6.14
If you recently read the announcement that HBO and Starz would each soon be launching their own standalone streaming services and thought, “Well, I still can’t dump cable because then I wouldn’t be able to watch Showtime,” here’s some good news — the network is planning to launch its own online-only service at some point in 2015, which may remove the final barricade to cord-cutting for some consumers. [More]
Starz Also Looking At Online-Only Streaming Service
By 10.30.14
In the wake of HBO’s still-vague announcement that it will soon be launching a streaming video service that doesn’t require a pay-TV subscription, Starz — the nudity and violence-loving competitor to HBO — says it is also looking into the possibility. [More]
How Much Would You Pay For A Standalone HBO Go?
By 10.23.14
Last week, HBO confirmed plans to launch a standalone online service that doesn’t require you to have a separate basic pay-TV package. Beyond that, the company has provided few details, leaving both consumers and cable companies wondering what the service will actually be — and how much it will cost. [More]
Here’s What It Would Take For The U.S. To Get Standalone HBO Go Service
By 8.4.14
Since 2012, HBO has been offering a standalone streaming service to customers in parts of Europe, and it’s now reportedly planning on expanding that type of over-the-top service to other European and Asian markets. Yet the cable network still maintains that it has no plans to try it out stateside. We believe it could happen, but it would first require a handful of changes. [More]
25 All-American Movies & TV Shows You Can Stream This 4th Of July
By 7.3.14
While we usually think of fireworks, backyard barbecues and the hot sun beaming down on red, white and blue parades around the country, this year’s 4th of July celebrations might be somewhat dampened as many parts of the country face some wet weather. Or heck, maybe it’s too hot to leave the AC. Either way, we’ve got 25 movies and TV shows you can stream to stay in the American spirit. [More]
Amazon Prime Scores HBO Programming (But Not Game Of Thrones)
By 4.23.14
For years, HBO has resisted making its library of original programming — shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, True Blood, Deadwood, etc. — available to online subscription services, choosing instead to limit that archive to either its own HBO Go service or to people willing to pay to rent or buy them individually. But today, Amazon announced that its Amazon Prime streaming video offerings will finally soon include unlimited streaming access to a variety of HBO programming (though not the one that’s the most sought-after right now). [More]
No Big Surprise: TV Watchers Fleeing Premium Channels For Streaming
By 1.20.14
With more and more options in premium television popping up, consumer subscription habits are evolving. So it comes as no surprise that subscription video-on-demand services are on the rise, while premium TV channel subscriptions have declined. [More]
Ethical Or Not-So-Ethical: Using A Secondary User Name To Give Free HBO Go Access To Friends?
By 11.21.13
Whether you approve of it or not, a lot of people out there share usernames and passwords for services like Netflix and HBO Go so that their friends, families and loved ones can share without having to pay for their own subscription. And some say there is a way you can do this for HBO Go (and presumably other services that use your cable login) without having to actually share your info. [More]
HBO’s Parent Company Doesn’t Predict Much Interest In HBO-Only Internet Package
By 11.7.13
Comcast recently announced a new package called Internet Plus that bundles broadband service and HBO (and perhaps more importantly HBO Go) along with a smattering of basic cable channels for $50-70/month, and some have predicted that this could push more people to ditch the pricier cable packages, but not the CEO of HBO’s parent company. [More]
Is Comcast’s HBO-Included ‘Internet Plus’ Worth It?
By 10.25.13
Yesterday, we told you of rumors that Comcast was going to launch a service dubbed Internet Plus that gives customers Internet access, a handful of cable channels and HBO (along with HBO Go) for significantly less than what you’d pay for a full Internet, basic cable, and HBO package. Today, Comcast confirmed the limited-time package so we can look at the specifics to determine if it’s a good deal. [More]
Comcast Reportedly Set To Offer Limited Service That Includes HBO Go
By 10.24.13
People who watch HBO Go generally seem to like the premium network’s streaming service. But the fact that an HBO subscription also requires you to have a basic cable package makes it cost-prohibitive to many consumers (which why so many people use their friends’ passwords to access HBO Go without paying). At the same time, cable subscribers are realizing they don’t watch most of the hundreds of channels being offered and are cutting the cord to go streaming-only. To appeal to both of these groups, Comcast is reportedly prepping to launch a pared-down package that would cost less but also include HBO and HBO Go. [More]
Netflix CFO Urges HBO To Offer Online Subscription Service
By 9.25.13
The TV-viewing public wants HBO Go without first having to pay for basic cable and HBO. Millions of people have signed petitions begging the company to offer such a service, and now the CFO of Netflix is asking why the premium network hasn’t offered an online subscription service yet. [More]
Google Has Already Ended Netflix/Chromecast Promotion
By 7.26.13
One of the major selling points for Google’s new Chromecast streaming video dongle was that it initially came with three months of free Netflix service, which saves the customer $21 in monthly fees. But only a day after beginning to take orders, Google has already put an end to that promotion. [More]
Standalone HBO Go Inching Closer To Reality
By 3.21.13
Millions of people love HBO Go. Unfortunately, lots of these people don’t want to pay for cable and Internet access and HBO just to get the service. But now it looks like the network is dipping its toe into the standalone waters, trying to figure out if there is a way to offer HBO Go without poking a stick at the cable companies it depends on. [More]
Game Of Thrones Is King Of Pirated TV Shows
By 12.26.12
While there may be various scheming parties vying for the Iron Throne in King’s Landing, HBO’s Game of Thrones is the undisputed champ in the rankings of the 2012’s most-pirated TV shows. [More]
