HBO has revealed next to nothing about its upcoming standalone streaming service, all of the information we have now, such as the April release date, has been gathered through leaks. The most recent such leaks have revealed that the service will be called “HBO Now” and will cost subscribers $14.99/month which makes it one of the more expensive streaming media services out there. For comparison, both Hulu Plus and Netflix cost $7.99/month, although Netflix has a few more expensive options.
While April 2015 was already leaked as the launch month of HBO’s standalone Internet subscription service, new details were leaked today that indicate the service will be called ‘HBO Now’ and cost $15 a month for a subscription. Comparatively, Netflix charges $9 a month to new subscribers of the company’s streaming service. Detailed by the International Business Times, sources familiar with the project also indicated that Apple is on board with a HBO Now application set to launch on the Apple TV. It’s likely that other popular set-top box manufacturers, like Roku and Amazon, are developing similar HBO Now applications. HBO already has an existing relationship with Amazon, specifically a content licensing deal that brings an archive of older HBO shows to Amazon Instant Video users. That deal includes shows like The Sopranos, The Wire, True Blood and Boardwalk Empire. However, the deal does not include more recent shows like Game of Thrones, True Detective or The Newsroom.
