Standalone HBO subscription service launches in 2015
Get your Game of Thrones on. HBO will be available as a standalone streaming subscription in 2015, CEO Richard Plepler announced today. During an investor meeting, Plepler cited the 10 million homes that are broadband-only – meaning they don't have a cable subscription – and noted that this figure is expected to grow.
"That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped," he said in a press release. "It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO. 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."
There's no mention of price just yet. HBO has been experimenting with web-based options for a while, and its existing streaming service (tied to a cable subscription), HBO Go, is available on Xbox 360 and PS3, with plans to roll out for Xbox One and PS4. In the US, gaming consoles are the most popular way to access streaming television and movie content, beating out smart TVs and set-top boxes. Roughly 46 percent of broadband-connected homes use a console to access non-gaming content online, Home Media Magazine reported last month.
HBO's television offerings include True Detective, The Newsroom, Boardwalk Empire and, of course, Game of Thrones.
[Image: HBO]
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 15, 2014
HBO CHAIRMAN AND CEO RICHARD PLEPLER ANNOUNCES HBO TO OFFER A STAND-ALONE
HBO STREAMING SERVICE IN 2015
Speaking at the Time Warner Inc. Investor Meeting today, Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO,
HBO, announced that the company will offer a stand-alone HBO streaming service in
2015. Following a portion of his presentation focused on HBO's domestic business, during
which he cited significant growth opportunities inside the pay-TV universe, Plepler then turned
to the current ten million broadband-only homes, which is projected to grow.
Plepler then added:
"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.
"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."
