In big news in the media and tech sectors, on Tuesday, April 7th HBO’s standalone subscription service HBO Now became available on Apple TV. Somewhat surprisingly, neither company made an announcement, and the change occurred during a regular background content update.
Of note, the HBO Now channel was supposed to be available before the Game of Thrones premiere on April 12, and today’s new update allows access to HBO’s complete streaming content library, as well as new shows as they air, for a price of $14.99 a month (one free month if you sign up by the end of April via an Apple device).
HBO Now was first announced at Apple’s big press event back in March, when the company launched the new MacBook and provided more details on launch of the Apple Watch. The HBO Now service is only available on Apple TV for now, and can also be streamed on devices running iOS, including the iPhone and iPad using an app.
More on Apple TV and HBO Now
The new HBO Now service provides customers with on-demand access to HBO’s full library of shows and movies. For now, Apple TV and smartphone and tablets will be the only way you can get HBO Now, but sources say that period of exclusivity is likely to expire in three months or so. Keep in mind that HBO Now can also be viewed through your web browser.
HBO Now is different than HBO Go because it does not require a user to subscribe to the service via their cable or satellite TV provider. This is a big deal for “cable cutters” who don’t want to sign up for cable or satellite TV services that can top $100 for premium content bundles including HBO.
As reported by ValueWalk, HBO CEO Richard Plepler called the launch of the new service a “transformative moment for HBO,” during the early March Apple event in San Francisco.
