HBO GO

HBO recently announced that they are finally opening up their HBO Go service to non cable users. This is something i advocated about a year ago, as a way for HBO to become more profitable, and a greater competetor for Netflix, currently an internet only service.

Netflix is one of the fastest growing internet streaming companies today, and this is mainly down o their business model, they offer cheap accounts costing less than 10 dollars a month, available in many countries worldwide, and not linked to any specific address, meaning that it is particularly popular with young people.

HBO is currently also popular with young people, having given birth to such series as Game of Thrones, The Sopranos and Girls, however HBO until now offered no way for people to access their streaming services without signing up for a cable package, meaning that many young people used their parents accounts, and thus not paying HBO any money. Allowing access to HBO Go outright means that HBO can finally capitalize on people who only watch television on their tablets and laptops, and who don't have a permanent address, or indeed who have no interest in signing up for a cable package.

This announcement is certainly timely, coming just a few months after Netflix announced a plan to expand across the world starting in france, and Amazon announced that Amazon Prime subscriptions would allow access to a catalog of original and archive television series that included much of HBO's own back catalog, and original shows like the acclaimed Transparent. Hopefully this plan will put HBO into the future, and allow them to compete against rivals Amazon and Netflix.

source: Gawker