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HBO To Launch OTT Service in U.S. Next Year

HBO plans to launch a stand alone over-the-top service next year.

Speaking at Time Warner's investor day Wednesday, HBO CEO Richard Plepler said the new service would work with both current partners in the cable TV industry and new partners.

Plepler said that about 10 million U.S. homes have broadband only and no cable service, and that 5 million of those subscribe to a streaming video service. But those homes currently don't have access to HBO.

"It's time to remove those barriers," he said.

More to come...

http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/hbo-launch-ott-service-us-next-year/134851
 
HBO had been talking about doing this for awhile, so much so that some TV providers (Time Warner Cable being a key example) have been offering HBO with a "Starter TV" package (which consists of just the locals, WGN America, C-SPAN, and a few shopping channels) as a way to keep a customer base around.
 
For most people they’ll still need to have DSL or cable Internet. Although I’m not an HBO subscriber I hope this will be a step in making more cable channels fully available online or through streaming boxes and viewers having something closer to ala carte TV.

will ESPN ever go standalone?

ESPN and the Disney Channels are available live online, and on smart phones and Roku, and possibly other streaming boxes as well with watch websites and apps for them. Several Turner Networks (TBS, TNT, TCM, and Tru TV) are available online and on smart phones through watch apps as well, but not on streaming boxes yet to my knowledge. You have to have subscriptions to one of the major cable services to get them though. I don't know if they're available to anyone who may have broadband only but not cable TV though.

Several other major networks (The Big 4, History, A&E, etc.) have channels on Roku with clips or on demand programming, but not with the full schedule. I’d like to see more of the major networks go to having their full schedules available on streaming boxes with total freedom of choice over what channels a viewer wants without having to take dozens or hundreds of channels they don’t want. Maybe HBO’s plan is a step toward this.
 
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