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Report: 'HBO Now' Streaming Service Coming Next Month

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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Heads up, cord cutters. We're finally starting to hear some more details about HBO's upcoming standalone streaming service, slated for arrival this year, and yes, it's time to start getting excited.

According to a new report from International Business Times, the highly anticipated service will launch next month in conjunction with the season five Game of Thrones premiere. It will be called HBO Now and set you back $15 per month — the same amount you'd pay for HBO through your cable provider.

Another interesting tidbit from the report — HBO is in talks with Apple to make the Web-only subscription TV offering available on Cupertino's Apple TV.

The launch of this new service will mark the first time consumers will be able to subscribe to HBO directly through the company rather than through a cable or satellite provider.

"HBO's corporate parent, Time Warner Inc., will rely on a whole new line of distributors (e.g., Apple TV, Roku, Xbox, PlayStation, Amazon, etc.) to help market HBO Now to an estimated 10 million U.S. broadband subscribers who do not pay for a cable TV bundle," IBT notes.

HBO first announced plans to launch a standalone streaming service in October. "We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners," HBO chairman and CEO Richard Plepler said at the time. "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."

Those who do not want or cannot afford cable have long pushed HBO to offer an online-only service. Until now, however, HBO has held off on a standalone package because of its deals with cable and pay TV services.

The company has also shied away from licensing its content to streaming services like Netflix. It did recently provide content to Amazon Prime, but only older shows.

Meanwhile, HBO GO finally this week made its way to Sony's PlayStation 4, a full year after it hit the PS3. The new PS4 app functions just like the PS3 version, letting HBO subscribers access the network's shows on thier console.

For more, check out PCMag's favorite online-only shows in the slideshow above.

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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