Most pay-TV providers don’t like to remind consumers that there is plenty of freely available over-the-air TV, but the folks at Cablevision seem to be taking a “if you can’t beat ’em, give ’em antennae” attitude by acknowledging that some customers are destined to cut the cord (or to never connect that cord in the first place). [More]
hbo now
HBO Now International Users Subscribing With IP Runarounds Getting The Boot
By 4.20.15
While fans of HBO who didn’t want to sign up for a cable package to get every titillating, skin-baring moment on Game of Thrones (so basically, any given moment in the show) have been rejoicing over HBO Now, anyone outside the United States was left outside in the rain… that is, unless, they got around that inconvenience using VPNs or other ways to mask their IP addresses. Those international users are now getting the heave-ho from HBO. [More]
HBO Now Accounted For Almost 1% Of Internet Video Traffic On Sunday Night
By 4.15.15
HBO’s standalone streaming service HBO Now is only a week old but a look at traffic numbers for its first big-event night give hope that it might be finding traction with consumers. [More]
HBO Now, Sling Endure Game Of Thrones Premiere; HBO Go Has Problems
By 4.13.15
Only days after HBO launched its standalone HBO Now streaming service — and Sling TV began making HBO available as a live stream for its users — both new offerings were put to the test with Sunday night season premiere of Silicon Valley (and a few people who watched Game of Thrones). In the end, HBO Now came through without a crash, while Sling’s live stream showed improvement. But HBO Go, the streaming service that’s been around for five years, seemed to have the most problems. [More]
HBO Now: Our Initial Hands-On Thoughts
By 4.7.15
Earlier today, HBO finally released its HBO Now standalone streaming service, and because we’d be remiss in not trying the service out for you, we gave it a shot. [More]
At Long Last, ‘HBO Now’ Launches On iTunes, Cablevision
By 4.7.15
After what seems like an eternity, and with only five days to go before the season premiere of Game of Thrones, HBO’s standalone streaming service HBO Now is finally available. [More]
Sling TV’s Final Four Faltering Raises Concerns About Launch Of HBO Now
By 4.6.15
Even though Dish’s Sling TV streaming service had two full months of active, national usage under its belt — and even though the company says it expected high demand during the Final Four of the NCAA Men’s Basketball tournament — some Sling users were left staring at error messages instead of watching the end of Kentucky’s almost-perfect season. And with HBO expected to launch both its standalone streaming HBO Now service and live access via Sling this week, there’s cause for concern. [More]
HBO Finally Gets Around To Replying To Consumers Who Said They’d Pay For HBO Go…. Three Years Ago
By 4.3.15
With the launch of standalone streaming service HBO Now just around the corner, it appears the premium cable channel is attempting to drum up sales by going back in time and replying to Tweets from three years ago. [More]
Sling TV Users Getting HBO Access For $15/Month In Time For Game Of Thrones
By 4.1.15
UPDATE: Sling has confirmed that it will offer HBO (both live and on-demand) to users for an additional $15/month. [More]
Report: New Streaming TV Services Trying To Sidestep Net Neutrality Rule
By 3.20.15
A segment of consumers has for many years been begging for an unbundled, à la carte option for programming. That future is now taking its first shambling steps into our homes — only, it’s happening through the magic of the internet, and not in pay-TV subscriptions. But right now, we are in a particularly turbulent time for sorting out the rules of what is and isn’t allowed when it comes to giving preferential treatment to certain services. While the virtual ink is still drying on the brand-new, not-yet-implemented open internet rule, new players in the field of over-the-top internet TV are already trying to see just how far that rule bends. [More]
Cablevision Will Also Offer HBO Now Streaming Service
By 3.16.15
A week after HBO announced that its long-awaited HBO Now standalone streaming service would launch in April as an Apple exclusive, the folks at Cablevision say they will also be offering HBO Now for its Optimum Online broadband customers who want HBO but don’t want basic cable. [More]
The HBO Now Announcement Shows Why Net Neutrality Is So Important
By 3.9.15
This afternoon, HBO announced the details of its HBO Now streaming service that will finally allow consumers without cable TV to access the premium pay-TV network without having to be burdened with a cable bill for channels they don’t watch. But the fact that HBO has opted to go with Apple as its launch partner and not Comcast or any of the major pay-TV carriers is a reminder of just how important net neutrality is. [More]
‘HBO Now’ To Cost $15, Will Launch As Apple Exclusive
By 3.9.15
After months of speculation regarding price and availability, HBO has finally confirmed the important details about its standalone streaming service HBO Now. The good news is that it will cost the predicted $15/month. The not as good news is that Apple will be the exclusive device launch partner of the service when it kicks off in April. [More]
HBO Registers URL For “HBO Now” Website
By 3.5.15
Yesterday, we got the first meaty (but currently unconfirmed) details about HBO’s upcoming standalone streaming service. And new information seems to indicate that the name of the service may indeed be HBO Now. [More]
Comcast Not Afraid Of Streaming Services; Won’t Commit To Playing Nice With Them
By 3.5.15
Earlier this week, a Dish executive claimed that Comcast was afraid of so-called over-the-top streaming services like Dish’s Sling TV and that the cable giant could use its size and influence to prevent broadcasters from signing onto Sling and others. Now Comcast is saying it has nothing to fear from these new services, but won’t commit to avoiding deals that make it difficult for them to compete. [More]
HBO Streaming Service Reportedly Dubbed ‘HBO Now,’ Aiming For Launch Before Game Of Thrones Premiere
By 3.4.15
One of the most anticipated launches of 2015 is the debut of HBO’s standalone streaming service. The name, price, timeline and availability are still unconfirmed but a new report claims to have uncovered many of these details. [More]
