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HBO
HBO’s Now app is no longer tied to Apple devices and Cablevision’s Optimum service.
Starting Thursday, Amazon said its Fire tablets will have access to the premium cable channel’s standalone streaming service. Its Fire TV devices will get HBO Now soon after.
More announcements like this from competitors like Roku and Google are expected to follow, now that a three-month exclusivity deal that HBO inked with Apple reached its end.
Amazon’s announcement points to HBO’s efforts to rapidly expand its online presence to stay competitive with Netflix, which has been encroaching on HBO’s space as Netflix transforms itself into a major television player. HBO doesn’t want to be left behind as consumers viewing habits continue shifting toward Internet-based television services, even though its HBO Now service may undermine its core business of pay-TV subscriptions. HBO was willing to partner with Apple to bring its service first to Apple’s wildly popular devices, but needs to reach even more customers and devices if it hopes to build up a base online.
Google has already said that it will offer HBO Now on devices such as its Chromecast streaming stick and mobile gadgets running its Android operating system, though no specific date has been announced.
For now, the new HBO service is available to owners of the Fire HD 6, Fire HD 7 and Fire HDX 8.9 tablets. In the coming weeks, Amazon also expects to have the service available on the Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, both streaming devices for television sets.
The price for the HBO Now streaming service through Amazon is the same as it is on Apple devices: $14.99 a month. Amazon customers who are new to HBO Now also get a 30-day free trial, similar to the free trial offered by Apple at launch.
HBO Now launched for Apple devices and the Optimum service in April, just before the season premiere of “Game of Thrones,” the fantasy television series. The three-month exclusivity window covered the entire length of the season.
Cablevision is the first pay-TV company to provide this service. The cable provider serves around 3 million customers in the greater New York metropolitan area, including 2.8 million Optimum Online broadband users.
