The just announced standalone HBO subscription service, HBO Now, will be exclusive to Apple devices when it launches next month. We’ve learned now that Apple’s exclusivity will only last 3 months, so expect the service to land on other devices like the Fire TV as early as July. Interestingly though, subscribers will also be able to access HBO’s programming on their website from the beginning. This means Apple’s hold on the service isn’t as tight as it first appeared since it seems any computer, including Windows devices, will also be able to watch via HBO’s website. We’ll have to wait and see whether signing up for the service will require an iOS device or not.
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This makes me wonder if you could open stream on a PC and use Pushbullet to push it to Kodi.
My guess is that they will block Android devices from streaming live HBO til the deal with Apple is over. I could be wrong, but I would not doubt if Apple has a clause in the deal to block Android devices from streaming HBO Now. Hulu blocks devices so it should not be hard for Apple to have HBO blocked for three months. Blocking HBO Now would have zero efffect on HBO Go so it should not be a big deal. Wait a few months and Android will have a HBO Now app. Three months of exclusivity is not long to wait at all.
To be clear, when I say block HBO Now, I mean that they will probably block the streaming url of the live HBO feed so that it cannot be streamed on Android devices.
This arrangement is such BS. Disappointed in HBO.
Why be mad at HBO? I am sure Google got their bid for exclusivity, but were outbid by Apple. Thats the way the game goes, whoever bids the most gets the exlusive tag. Its the American way. Money talks. Google wins their share of exclusive apps just like Apple so its only fair. Look at it like this, if Apple won a bid to have a stadium named “Apple Stadium” and after their time was up, if they bid less than Google the next time, the stadium would now be named “Google Stadium”. No harm for HBO, just a business decision, period.
1) Disappointed != Mad
2) Exclusivity = BS for consumers of all stripes eventually
As a consumer, I grow weary of The Game. I’ve waited long enough and more than paid my dues after being forced to swear fealty to the cable companies for decades only to get ****-blocked for one more money-grab once HBO finally provides a means to enjoy the PRIVILEGE of paying them directly for their fine programming. Yeah, I’m disappointed.
Honestly, I doubt we’ll see it in 3 months. It took HBO 8 months to deliver the HBO Go AFTV app. It took 6 months just to get the new version of the Netflix app that most other devices already had.
do that many people even have apple tv? i thought it was mostly just older hacked version used for xbmc. and there are much better devices for xbmc (kodi) now. appletv just ever really seemed like a contender as the talk has always been focused on roku, fire tv, or others. or maybe thats why, they are trying to be more competitive.