It doesn’t appear that Apple has totally cornered the cable-free HBO market after all.
Dish’s Sling TV has announced that HBO is coming to the subscription-based live TV service, making it the first and only internet TV platform to offer live HBO. Sling TV customers who sign up for HBO will get the one live HBO channel, as well as all the on-demand content (similar to HBO GO or the new HBO NOW). It’s important to note that Sling TV isn’t getting HBO NOW – that’s still an Apple exclusive for now. Sling TV is offering HBO content directly through Sling TV itself.
“You don’t need me to tell you what a big deal this is, both for us and for our customers: HBO delivers hit shows and movies that TV viewers crave, and with this addition Sling TV becomes the only streaming service that offers both HBO and ESPN without a cable subscription,” says Sling TV CEO Roger Lynch.
HBO will cost $15 on Sling TV, which is the same as a subscription to HBO NOW. In order to qualify for the $15 HBO, you must also subscribe to Sling’s “Best of Live TV” core package. That package includes channels like ESPN, ESPN2, AMC, A&E, TNT, History Channel, TBS, Food Network, HGTV, Travel Channel, Cartoon Network, and IFC. It costs $20 per month.
There’s no hard date for when HBO will launch on Sling TV – “next week” is a specific as the company gets. But it will be before the big season premiere of Game of Thrones on April 12.
Just another option for cordcutters – and with more and more people realizing that cable is just too much of a burden on their bank accounts, that is never a bad thing.
Image via Game of Thrones, Facebook
