Cable cutters rejoice!
HBO's new standalone premium streaming service now has a name, a launch window and a price. HBO Now will be available in April for $14.99 a month, according to an announcement from the network on Monday. Users who sign up through April will get 30 days of the service for free.
The news came at Apple's live event, when it was also announced that HBO Now would only be available through Apple TV — at first, anyway. The network is still in discussions with other distributors for potential rights to the service.
HBO already offers a streaming service called HBO Go but only for subscribers of the television channel through a cable or satellite service. HBO Now means people who have ditched traditional television service will now be able to pay for HBO's content in an on-demand capacity for the first time.
"HBO Now is the next phase of innovation at HBO," said Richard Plepler, HBO's chairman and CEO, in a statement.
"This is huge," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of Internet Software and Services. "HBO Now offers a new generation of HBO fans many of the best TV programs in the world without a cable or satellite subscription."
According to HBO, the service will offer more than 2,000 titles, including movies, television series and comedy specials.
Clint Davis is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk. Follow him on Twitter @MrClintDavis.
