HBO's standalone streaming service will reportedly be called HBO Now, priced at $15 per month

[Shawn Knight]

HBO’s upcoming over-the-top streaming service now has a name and a price point. Best yet, executives are reportedly trying to get everything in order to launch in time for the fifth season of Game of Thrones according to a report from the International Business Times.

Sources tell the publication that the standalone service will be called HBO Now and it will cost $15 per month. The pricing is in line with what consumers pay to access the network through their cable or satellite provider (sans promotional rate) but significantly higher than the $8 to $12 monthly fee that Netflix commands.

The new service is not to be confused with HBO Go, the company’s streaming service that allows paying cable and satellite subscribers to watch HBO programming on the web, smartphones and tablets. The company is outsourcing the work to build a new back end and a new front end that’ll be separate from Go.

As such, HBO Now and HBO Go subscribers will have different login pages / apps and credentials. Conveying the difference between the two to the average consumer is a valid concern among cable executives.

It’s unclear at this time just exactly what channels will be included in HBO Now. As you may know, HBO offers several different branded channels including HBO, HBO 2, HBO Signature, HBO Family, HBO Comedy, HBO Zone and HBO Latino. One would assume that all channels would be included in the bundle, but you know what they say about assuming…

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https://www.techspot.com/news/59954-hbo-standalone-streaming-service-reportedly-called-hbo-now.html

 

[tonylukac]

Rent a dvd.

 

[BlueDrake]

Rent a dvd.

They have such things?! Wow!

 

[war59312]

Rent a dvd.

Why bother. Just download it.

Not like "you" had any intention to pay anyways.

 

[wiyosaya]

Yet another service that is more expensive than the same service through traditional cable / satellite outlets.

I think these guys are just not getting it.

I'll wait till it comes to Redbox/Netflix/Amazon/Hulu.............

 

[JohnCB]

$15/mo for one channel is outrageously overpriced and I'm sure I'll be forced to watch commercials on top of that.

This is definitely a step in the right direction to getting away from Cable bundle subscriptions, but this pricing model is just too high.

 

[MilwaukeeMike]

Well.. at least we wont' have to listen to people justify their pirating by 'There's no other way to get Game of Thrones, so I HAVE to steal it'...

 

[Taharial]

$15/mo for one channel is outrageously overpriced and I'm sure I'll be forced to watch commercials on top of that.

This is definitely a step in the right direction to getting away from Cable bundle subscriptions, but this pricing model is just too high. If this is what it costs to afford the production of the shows on the station, it may be time to rethink Blockbuster sized TV shows.

I'll pass and continue to live my life without HBO

The article acknowledges the HBO brand contains multiple channels so I wouldn't assume yet that it's $15/mo for one channel or that you'll be forced to watch commercials when most paid video streaming services don't include them. Personally I don't consider $15 an "outrageous" price when even the most basic cable package from companies is roughly $30/mo + at least another $15 for the HBO package on top of any other costs cable companies may have for contracts or leasing equipment. Unless HBO Now takes off in an extreme fashion, I don't seem them pricing it much lower than what you'd pay to have the service through a cable provider considering how much cable providers have to pay to offer their service to their customers.

Well.. at least we wont' have to listen to people justify their pirating by 'There's no other way to get Game of Thrones, so I HAVE to steal it'...

That's a nice thought but I have a feeling pirates are going to try and justify themselves regardless of their options.

 

[treetops]

Id love to try this out for a month, hopefully they offer some kind of free trial. 15$ for multiple hbo channels might end up being something pretty awesome.

 

[SNGX1275]

$3.75 per GoT episode. Might be worth it if you can do it on a month to month basis. Any time contract longer than 1 month at a time and this is going to fail.

 

[gzt7d8]

Yet another service that is more expensive than the same service through traditional cable / satellite outlets.

I think these guys are just not getting it.

I'll wait till it comes to Redbox/Netflix/Amazon/Hulu.............

I totally agree, I'm paying $12 a month and I get more than 1 HBO channel. And I can go stream movies that they carry on the channels too. So what is the draw to pay more? Do they think we are stupid?

 

[Tye Lucas]

$15 a month??? LMAO No thanks...