Cord-cutters across America just got something to cheer about: HBO revealed plans Wednesday to offer a standalone version of its popular HBO Go streaming service in 2015.
Until now, only HBO subscribers had access to HBO Go, prompting scores of college students, broke Millennials, and others without cable to beg friends, parents, and neighbors to share their passwords.
“We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners,” said HBO Chairman and CEO Richard Plepler at Wednesday’s Time Warner, Inc. investor meeting. “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.”
Plepler offered few details of HBO’s over-the-top plans, but promised the move would generate hundreds of millions of dollars in additional revenue for the company.
Scandinavian customers already have access to an HBO streaming service in HBO Nordic, but the new plans would be the first time that HBO would offer first-run streaming content to non-television subscribers in the U.S. Some older content is available for streaming via Amazon Prime.
HBO is hoping to tap into a growing customer base that is breaking away from traditional cable and satellite subscriptions that are seen as overpriced and stuffed with unwanted channels.
Read More: Broadcasting & Cable
Brief Take: HBO Go passwords are among the most coveted entertainment assets among many Millennial viewers. By going over-the-top, HBO is opening up an opportunity to market its content to a huge new viewer pool, while generating new wealth for the company. What it will mean for the cable operators who offer HBO as part of their premium packages is less certain.
Tags: