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Sling TV Adding HBO to Channel Lineup

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Awesome news, cord cutters. HBO is headed to Sling TV, the companies announced on Wednesday.

The deal marks the first time HBO has offered its content on a live Internet TV service. The companies have not revealed exactly when HBO will launch on Sling TV, but said it will arrive in time for the April 12 Game of Thrones season 5 premiere.

HBO is not part of Sling TV's core "best of live TV" package, meaning you will, of course, have to pay extra for it. Sling TV subscribers, who pay $20 per month, will be able to purchase an HBO subscription for an additional $15 per month, which includes one live HBO channel plus the network's on-demand library of TV shows and movies.

"It is has always been our desire to make the HBO subscription widely accessible," Tom Woodbury, president of global distribution for HBO, said in a statement. "Sling TV is a part of that ongoing evolution and we believe HBO is a great addition to the platform."

When it launches, HBO will be available on all devices that Sling TV supports, including Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, current-generation Roku players and Roku TV models, Xbox One, Android and iOS devices, and Macs and PCs.

"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," Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch said 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."

HBO has long been accessible only to those with a cable subscription, but HBO is branching out this year with a standalone service known as HBO NOW. It will be an Apple exclusive for a few months; you'll need an iOS device to sign up. But after that, you'll be able to sign up for HBO as you would for Netflix or Hulu—no cable subscription necessary—and watch from a PC or mobile device.

HBO NOW will also arrive before the Game of Thrones premiere but neither HBO nor Apple has not provided an exact launch date.

Sling TV, meanwhile, provides access to channels like AMC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Adult Swim, Cartoon Network, ABC Family, Disney Channel, CNN, El Rey, Galavision. For more, check out PCMag's full review.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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