HBO to launch stand alone streaming svc in 2015 (1 Viewer)

[Wingnut]

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/5989866

HBO To Launch Standalone Streaming Service Next Year

Timothy Stenovec The Huffington Post 10/15/14 10:57 AM ET

HBO is cutting the cord.

The company announced on Wednesday that it will launch a standalone streaming video service in the U.S. that will allow you to watch HBO programming without paying for an expensive cable subscription.

"It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO," Richard Plepler, HBO's CEO, said at an investor conference in New York on Wednesday, adding that it will be "transformative" for the company.

A lot of details remain unclear at this point -- how much will the service cost? Will it simply be HBO GO sold as a standalone product, or a slimmed down version with only some of the programming? Plepler acknowledged as much in his presentation, but said that for "competitive reasons," he won't be able to answer questions today.

An HBO spokesman would not comment beyond Plepler's presentation. HBO subscribers tend to pay their cable companies around $15 per month just for HBO. The Wall Street Journal, citing a "person familiar with the plans," reported that the streaming service wouldn't cost less than what TV subscribers pay.

More at the link above.

 

[mquinnjr]

 

[SacramentoBob]

About ### #### time.

 

[Wooderson]

Great news. If I'm not mistaken NFL tickets contract is expiring with DTV. Would be nice to have a standalone option for that.

 

[3C's]

Great news. If I'm not mistaken NFL tickets contract is expiring with DTV. Would be nice to have a standalone option for that.

They've all but agreed to terms to take it into 2020 and beyond.

As for HBO, no thanks if the price is the same as what I'd pay through DTV. It might make sense for those who have cut the cord though.

 

[belljr]

Yeah for me if it's the same price I'll keep it assuming i still get to go

 

[James Daulton]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

 

[belljr]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

 

[James Daulton]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

 

[cstu]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The ranks of Americans who no longer get cable or satellite TV have increased 44 percent in the past four years to 7.6 million households

 

[SacramentoBob]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

 

[James Daulton]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

But people are ditching cable to save money. If you now have to subscribe to 5 different streaming networks, how much $ will you save? Now they only have to subscribe to Netflix basically.

 

[UniAlias]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

Googled this. There are several articles referring to this stat. That just seems like an absurdly high number to me. Very surprising.

 

[mquinnjr]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

But people are ditching cable to save money. If you now have to subscribe to 5 different streaming networks, how much $ will you save? Now they only have to subscribe to Netflix basically.

This is after you pay ~$80/month for cable internet because you cut your video sub, and because you unbundled, that's the stand-alone internet price w/router.

ETA: When I had DTV on top of Comcast internet before I moved recently, my internet w/no router/modem rental (I own my equipment) was ~$75 a month, all in. Since my move, my 2-year price with faster internet (50/10), all basic channels, HBO for the 2-year duration, and the X1 non-DVR box and the Sports package is ~$115/mo, all in.

They position it so that it's literally a "cut off my nose to spite my face" situation: Do I really cancel everything to save $40 a month, when if I do, HBO is hitting me for $15 alone, and for the other $25 I get all the base channels and live sports I could ever watch? We're not even factoring in Netflix, Hulu, Amazon prime, etc. that would evaporate the $25/month quickly as well. Probably just stay at that point.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

But people are ditching cable to save money. If you now have to subscribe to 5 different streaming networks, how much $ will you save? Now they only have to subscribe to Netflix basically.

Cut my cable earlier this year. It was about $90 without HBO. Now I'm paying Netflix $8, MLB package $20, NFL GamePass $30, (cheaper than Sunday Ticket and includes Redzone), NBA League Pass $30 and a proxy service for $5. If all of the sports were on at once, which they aren't, it would be about equal in cost but with the sports packages, I get every single game and can get them anywhere I am. For people that don't watch sports? It isn't even close.The cost savings is there along with better content and convenience.

 

[Maik Jeaunz]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

But people are ditching cable to save money. If you now have to subscribe to 5 different streaming networks, how much $ will you save? Now they only have to subscribe to Netflix basically.

Cut my cable earlier this year. It was about $90 without HBO. Now I'm paying Netflix $8, MLB package $20, NFL GamePass $30, (cheaper than Sunday Ticket and includes Redzone), NBA League Pass $30 and a proxy service for $5. If all of the sports were on at once, which they aren't, it would be about equal in cost but with the sports packages, I get every single game and can get them anywhere I am. For people that don't watch sports? It isn't even close.The cost savings is there along with better content and convenience.

I don't know much about "cutting the cord". how do you watch channels like AMC, FX, USA, etc.?

 

[Cliff Clavin]

If I have cable, why would I need this?

you won't assuming the to go app stays the same layout.but this is huge for non cable peopke

Almost 90% of households have either cable or satellite tv. Where's the market?

The people who would ditch satellite or TV if they could get premium channels without it. I swear I could remember some exec @ HBO saying that cord cutters didn't exist a few years ago. And now this. And if HBO does it, others will follow suit.

But people are ditching cable to save money. If you now have to subscribe to 5 different streaming networks, how much $ will you save? Now they only have to subscribe to Netflix basically.

Cut my cable earlier this year. It was about $90 without HBO. Now I'm paying Netflix $8, MLB package $20, NFL GamePass $30, (cheaper than Sunday Ticket and includes Redzone), NBA League Pass $30 and a proxy service for $5. If all of the sports were on at once, which they aren't, it would be about equal in cost but with the sports packages, I get every single game and can get them anywhere I am. For people that don't watch sports? It isn't even close.The cost savings is there along with better content and convenience.

I don't know much about "cutting the cord". how do you watch channels like AMC, FX, USA, etc.?

Walking Dead, Mad Men, Sons, Always Sunny in Philly. Etc. are on Netflix. I can wait for the seasons to come out

 

[Josie Maran]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

 

[NutterButter]

Why do you guys have to go messing with the status quo? I like things the way they are.

 

[Sinn Fein]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Pretty similar to our deal - we were paying more to direct TV for the premium package and we had a land-line that we also cut.

All told, I would guess we are saving $150/mo to go with the package above. I have an HBO password to get HBO GO, but I would spring for the $15/mo so long as they had original programming I liked. I would not do it for the movies - content is king, and if you have unique content thats worth paying for, people will do it.

 

[Josie Maran]

Why do you guys have to go messing with the status quo? I like things the way they are.

Sorry. We'll get off your lawn.

 

[massraider]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

 

[Josie Maran]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Meh. They're cheap enough and I already have two good TVs.

 

[3C's]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Just steal cable service and wave bye bye to all the fees.

 

[Josie Maran]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Meh. They're cheap enough and I already have two good TVs.

Wait, my brain read that as "smart TV" not Apple TV.

Will investigate.

 

[massraider]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Meh. They're cheap enough and I already have two good TVs.

Wait, my brain read that as "smart TV" not Apple TV.

Will investigate.

Check eBay.

 

[SacramentoBob]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Get yourself a jailbroken Apple TV and wave bye bye to Netflix/Hulu, etc.

Just steal cable service and wave bye bye to all the fees.

I force my neighbor to pay for mine. Problem solved.

 

[Fennis]

I produce my own original programming. Problem solved.

 

[Fennis]

heres the chart that tells the story

 

[HellToupee]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Chump change for full cable . Triple plays go for $89-99 depending on promo being rum. Life is way to short to nickel & dime stuff like this.

 

[Josie Maran]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Chump change for full cable . Triple plays go for $89-99 depending on promo being rum. Life is way to short to nickel & dime stuff like this.

I don't know what a triple play is. And I don't actually want full cable anyway.

 

[James Daulton]

For me right now.

Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime = $25/mo

Internet = $30/mo

When I bailed on cable a couple years ago, I was paying about $125. Easy call IMO.

Chump change for full cable . Triple plays go for $89-99 depending on promo being rum. Life is way to short to nickel & dime stuff like this.

I don't know what a triple play is. And I don't actually want full cable anyway.

How do you watch espn, nfl network, amc, discovery, fx, food network, etc?

 

[Cjw_55106]

heres the chart that tells the story

So it isnt about revenue but rather a #### measuring contest? It seems HBO is doing better now than before.

 

[Sheriff66]

If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

 

[3C's]

If it wasn't for sports and my wife I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

FYP for my situation. Even sports I could work around. Not my wife. She has a hard enough time figuring out the remote for the home theater.

 

[MattFancy]

If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

Exactly. And not even all sports. I could still watch NFL and college football on ABC/CBS/NBC/FOX, but any game that isn't on one of those big networks, I'd be screwed.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

NFL Gamepass that comes with Redzone and NFL Network is about $120/year which includes every single game. You'd need a $5/month proxy since you're in the US. NHL/NBA/MLB also have full online packages.

 

[3C's]

If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

NFL Gamepass that comes with Redzone and NFL Network is about $120/year which includes every single game. You'd need a $5/month proxy since you're in the US. NHL/NBA/MLB also have full online packages.

Those aren't the only sports. NBC/NBCSN carries EPL. Fox Sports 1/2 carries UFC and soccer. Spike has Bellator. NASCAR...I kid, I kid. College football on various networks. ESPN family.

 

[Sinn Fein]

heres the chart that tells the story

Not sure that tells the story - Netflix gets $8 per subscriber, what does HBO get?

Of the major TV studios, I do think HBO has been at the forefront of getting content out via the HBO GO app. They seem to have a better grasp of a shifting dynamic in the content delivery platform. They also seem much more comfortable with the concept of pirated versions of their shows airing - and certain show like John Oliver have clips freely available on youtube - great publicity, with very little impact on subscribers.

While once ridiculed, certainly NetFlix understands that dynamic - and they have the advantage over HBO and other TV networks in that they do not have legacy platforms to consider. The other networks are very much in bed with cable providers - which is why you see most of their content protected from on-online streaming - usually delayed by a week unless you can provide a current cable password. I am assuming the deals TV networks have with cable providers contemplate a certain level of viewership - with the attendant ad revenue.

As content delivery shifts - and make no mistake, it is shifting - everyone is going to have to figure out how to grab their share of the pie. Cable and satellite companies are most vulnerable because they do not really offer any value add - in terms of a delivery platform. They do hold one trump card in that they typically provide internet access in addition to cable TV. But, competition for high speed internet is pretty fierce - they will have a tough time raising rates significantly - on what will essentially be a commodity.

It will be fascinating to watch the fall out.

 

[James Daulton]

The thing is, I think there's a ton of good content nowadays on cable tv. In fact, I'd give up the major networks before giving up the cable channels. AMC, Fx, the CW, Discovery, Animal Planet, Food Network, ESPN, TNT, etc all have some really good programming. In fact, I'd say that the money I spend on cable is somewhat offset by going to fewer movies since the television programming is so good.

As for HBO, people now complain about paying $8 for Netflix, which gives you access to a ton of content. What is HBO going to offer, other than HBO stuff, to justify its likely higher cost. I can't see how it works, but I'm sure the smart people at HBO have an angle. I just don't think Netflix goes away anytime soon.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

If it wasn't for sports I wouldn't have cable/Sat at all, that's where the hook is

NFL Gamepass that comes with Redzone and NFL Network is about $120/year which includes every single game. You'd need a $5/month proxy since you're in the US. NHL/NBA/MLB also have full online packages.

Those aren't the only sports. NBC/NBCSN carries EPL. Fox Sports 1/2 carries UFC and soccer. Spike has Bellator. NASCAR...I kid, I kid. College football on various networks. ESPN family.

UFC has fight pass to watch everything. Don't care about the rest

Sounds like some of you spend waaaay too much time in front of the TV.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

The thing is, I think there's a ton of good content nowadays on cable tv. In fact, I'd give up the major networks before giving up the cable channels. AMC, Fx, the CW, Discovery, Animal Planet, Food Network, ESPN, TNT, etc all have some really good programming. In fact, I'd say that the money I spend on cable is somewhat offset by going to fewer movies since the television programming is so good.

As for HBO, people now complain about paying $8 for Netflix, which gives you access to a ton of content. What is HBO going to offer, other than HBO stuff, to justify its likely higher cost. I can't see how it works, but I'm sure the smart people at HBO have an angle. I just don't think Netflix goes away anytime soon.

Really? $8 a month is a bargain.

 

[James Daulton]

The thing is, I think there's a ton of good content nowadays on cable tv. In fact, I'd give up the major networks before giving up the cable channels. AMC, Fx, the CW, Discovery, Animal Planet, Food Network, ESPN, TNT, etc all have some really good programming. In fact, I'd say that the money I spend on cable is somewhat offset by going to fewer movies since the television programming is so good.

As for HBO, people now complain about paying $8 for Netflix, which gives you access to a ton of content. What is HBO going to offer, other than HBO stuff, to justify its likely higher cost. I can't see how it works, but I'm sure the smart people at HBO have an angle. I just don't think Netflix goes away anytime soon.

Really? $8 a month is a bargain.

Don't you remember when it was raised from $6 to $8? Huge stink. Even on this board I think people were complaining because the movies weren't new enough. I agree it's a massive bargain.

 

[Sinn Fein]

The thing is, I think there's a ton of good content nowadays on cable tv. In fact, I'd give up the major networks before giving up the cable channels. AMC, Fx, the CW, Discovery, Animal Planet, Food Network, ESPN, TNT, etc all have some really good programming. In fact, I'd say that the money I spend on cable is somewhat offset by going to fewer movies since the television programming is so good.

As for HBO, people now complain about paying $8 for Netflix, which gives you access to a ton of content. What is HBO going to offer, other than HBO stuff, to justify its likely higher cost. I can't see how it works, but I'm sure the smart people at HBO have an angle. I just don't think Netflix goes away anytime soon.

NetFlix has weathered their storm - I think they are here for the long-haul. The $8 price point will be the sticking point for HBO - HBO does have more unique content, but that will likely change as Net Flix continues to produce its own content like Orange is the New Black and House of Cards, etc.

I would expect other premium channels to follow suit once HBO launches.

 

[Sinn Fein]

The thing is, I think there's a ton of good content nowadays on cable tv. In fact, I'd give up the major networks before giving up the cable channels. AMC, Fx, the CW, Discovery, Animal Planet, Food Network, ESPN, TNT, etc all have some really good programming. In fact, I'd say that the money I spend on cable is somewhat offset by going to fewer movies since the television programming is so good.

As for HBO, people now complain about paying $8 for Netflix, which gives you access to a ton of content. What is HBO going to offer, other than HBO stuff, to justify its likely higher cost. I can't see how it works, but I'm sure the smart people at HBO have an angle. I just don't think Netflix goes away anytime soon.

Really? $8 a month is a bargain.

I think it harkens back to when netflix split the streaming and disk portions of the company.

We did quit NetFlix then - at the time I did not feel like the streaming options justified the cost. But we came back when we dropped DirecTV. There is enough content on NetFlix streaming that I have never sat down with nothing to watch. We have two kids, who don't get a lot of TV time, but they have a bunch of shows they watch, and plenty of content to keep them entertained. I think they do watch a few shows on Hulu that are not on NetFlix.

 

[Sinn Fein]

Biggest challenge may be who is going to pay for new content. Right now we rely on advertisers to pick up the bulk of the bills for content production. But, while we except advertisers to pay for our entertainment, we increasingly refuse to watch their advertisements. That is a problem.

Its also one of the reasons I am shocked that content providers, and advertisers, are not embracing on-line streaming more as a content delivery platform. If you have ever watched shows on apps for ABC, NBC, CBS, etc, you know that they hard-code in advertising slots - meaning, at least for now, you can't avoid them, can't fast-forward through them, can't change the channel, etc. Now, it usually the same 3-4 ads through out the show - but you have a captive audience, and can probably accurately measure how many times a show or ad is streamed - so this seems like an easy sell to advertisers.

Of course, the trick is these advertisers have already paid someone a lot of money to have eyeball on TV sets, so they may feel a bit reluctant to pay again for eyeballs on mobile devices. That is where the industry players need to figure out who is going to get what part of the pie - and they are still trying to figure that out - with the powerful cable lobby sitting back looking for someone to help artificially prop-up their viewership numbers. Eventually it will get sorted.

 

[Cliff Clavin]

CBS offering streaming package for $6

 

[SkyRattlers]

CBS offering streaming package for $6

The dominos are starting to fall. HBO and CBS are the two biggest fish in this pond. Everyone else is going to be forced to follow along.

 

[Sinn Fein]

CBS offering streaming package for $6

The dominos are starting to fall. HBO and CBS are the two biggest fish in this pond. Everyone else is going to be forced to follow along.

ABC has had a much better app than CBS for awhile. I think for premium channels, they will follow HBO's lead, but for the major networks, they may take a wait and see approach

 

[belljr]

If I have to purchase this on top of my regular subscription I'll be pretty pissed