Could ‘Game of Thrones’ season 5 have a streaming option? HBO to offer new service
For a long time now, we have predicted that a day would come where internet would be the new TV, at least in that more options would be offered a la carte to consumers. This is a great way, after all, to give people a little of what they want without having to shell $40 or more for a cable package.
Well, that is coming now via HBO first and foremost. The company today announced that in 2015, they will unveil an over-the-top service where you can purchase an HBO Go subscription without having a cable provider to go along with it. This is a huge opportunity for the network to seize the part of the market that does not have HBO, and also pick up money from those willing to pay an affordable price for it.
The big winners here are obviously HBO programs. While there is no precise launch date for this yet, it may help to reduce the massive piracy that exists with “Game of Thrones.” There is also “Girls” season 4, “True Detective” season 2, “The Leftovers” season 2, and many other quality shows on the horizon for the network.
Obviously, we could see some cable companies being reasonably unhappy about this, but the truth is that this model has been antiquated for some time. Viewers want options, and they don’t want to pay extra money for a handful of networks they never watch. If cable companies want to compete in this modern landscape, they really need to up their game and create a better number of options for people to take advantage of moving forward.
One of the reasons we saw this coming for a long time was pretty simple: Unlike Showtime, HBO has been hesitant to add their own programming onto Netflix. Clearly, they see that there is enough value in having their own platform, and hoping people will be willing to shell out for it.
What do you think about this news, and would you purchase an a la carte HBO Go to watch more of your favorite shows? Share below, and head over here to get some further TV updates now on everything via our CarterMatt Newsletter. (Photo via HBO.)