NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — HBO revealed on Wednesday that they were planning to launch a stand-alone streaming version of the popular premium cable channel in 2015. HBO already has the hugely successful HBOGo streaming platform for their content, but the service requires a current subscription to a cable television provider to use.
“In 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. All in, there are 80 million homes that do not have HBO and we will use all means at our disposal to go after them,” Richard Plepler, chairman and CEO said during a Wednesday investor meeting of Time-Warner, HBO's parent company.
Plepler also noted that there are approximately 10 million households in the U.S. that have broadband connections but no current cable service and that this represented a significant untapped market.
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO," Plepler added.
Other details about the proposed service, including pricing, were not disclosed.
The announcement of HBO's plan to go it alone comes against the backdrop of a failed $80 billion takeover bid by Rupert Murdoch's Fox to acquire Time-Warner and an ongoing effort by Comcast to do the same, though the proposed acquisition is facing stiff regulatory headwinds.
Despite these acquisition efforts, Time-Warner CEO Jeffrey L. Bewkes was upbeat about the company's prospects as a stand-alone firm, telling investors that it was a "new era" for the company and that he expected that Time-Warner would double their earnings within the next few years. – Staff Writers
