HBO Now is already making some serious cash

The launch of HBO’s standalone streaming service was something that cord-cutters have been anticipating for years. HBO was actually a big reason that many potential cord-cutters had stuck with their cable providers for so long. Considering how the HBO Now app is now number one one App Annie’s Worldwide May iOS revenue charts, I highly doubt HBO is regretting its decision to launch the service. 

Cord cutters rejoice! The iOS app for HBO’s new standalone streaming service HBO Now debuted at #1 on our Worldwide May iOS revenue charts. In a strategic move, the service launched on April 12 to coincide with the Season 5 premiere of their Emmy Award-winning series, Game of Thrones. The launch was an exclusive deal with Apple, debuting in the United States on iOS and Apple TV. The service is $14.99 a month, but early adopters received a free month of access before incurring the monthly charge. The trial was clearly a success, as the app flew to the #2 overall daily grossing rank in the United States on May 7. HBO Now provides users with full access to the premium cable giant’s past and current original content in addition to a large selection of Hollywood movies. Previously, those without a traditional HBO subscription were limited to viewing select seasons of past shows on Amazon Prime Instant Video, as we noted in our 2014 Emmy streaming apps report. The service is poised to fill a major gap in online content availability for current (and potential) cord cutters in America, especially considering that an Android app is on the way.