Look's like HBO and an OTT middleman have come up with another way to buy HBO
content. Sling will offer the traditional live HBO streams and VOD access to
the HBO library for $15/mo. Subscribers will not have access to HBO Go or HBO
Now, but it doesn't matter as all of these services offer the same content on
demand. Kinda of an interesting twist on an ISP hosting edge servers...
Regards
Craig
http://www.multichannel.com/news/tv-apps/sling-tv-offer-hbo-15-month/389372
Sling TV to Offer HBO for $15 per Month
Sling TV, the OTT pay-TV service from Dish Network targeted to cord-cutters,
said it has become the first Internet TV service to offer linear and
video-on-demand content from HBO, and that it will start selling it for an
additional $15 per month in time for the April 12 season five premiere of Game
of Thrones.
The Sling TV/HBO announcement came on the same day Dish and Time Warner
announced a carriage deal for its Turner Broadcasting System cable networks and
HBO for the satellite giant’s 14 million customers. Update: Sling TV said its
HBO agreement was part of that larger deal.
Apple, meanwhile, has a temporary, three month exclusive on HBO Now, a new
standalone offering that will also become available in time for the new season
of GoT for $14.99 per month, though HBO Now does not include a live feed of
HBO. Cablevision Systems is the first traditional MVPD to sign a deal to offer
HBO Now to broadband customers.
Sling TV said HBO will be marketed as $15 add-on to its core “Best Of Live TV”
service, which runs $20 per month. Further details about the launch of HBO on
Sling TV will be announced soon, the companies said.
Sling TV will offer HBO (one live channel and access to HBO’s VOD library)
across its supported platforms, which include Web browsers, the Amazon Fire TV
box and Fire TV Stick, and iOS and Android mobile devices. Sling TV will soon
be offered on the Nexus Player, a device that runs the new Android TV platform.
Sling TV is currently a single-stream offering.
Update: Sling TV subs won't have access to HBO Go, the premium programmer's
authenticated app for mobile and TV-connected devices. Sling TV reasons that
its customers won't need access to HBO Go (or to HBO Now, for that matter),
because its customers will have access to the HBO linear feed and HBO VOD
content, including original series, movies, original HBO Films, documentaries,
sports, and comedy and music specials.
“Sling TV is bringing HBO to our customers on all of our supported devices in
time for one of the most important TV moments of the year,” said Roger Lynch,
CEO of Sling TV, in a statement. “HBO delivers hit shows and movies that TV
viewers crave, and with this addition we’re adding another heavy hitter to a
lineup that includes ESPN, AMC, TNT and more.”
“It is has always been our desire to make the HBO subscription widely
accessible,” added Tom Woodbury, president of global distribution, HBO. “Sling
TV is a part of that ongoing evolution and we believe HBO is a great addition
to the platform.”
HBO won't be Sling TV's first premium offering. Last month, Sling TV introduced
a $5 per month add-on pack called “Hollywood Extra” that features content from
EPIX and Sundance TV. Sling TV also markets four other $5 per month add-on
packages: Lifestyle Extra, World News Extra, Sports Extra, Hollywood Extra, and
Kids Extra.
Regards
Craig
