It turns out that cutting the cord to get HBO Now instead may be more expensive than we thought. The stand-alone streaming service will only be available on Apple TV when it launches in April.
Last week, it was reported that HBO was already in talks with Apple, but the exclusivity is news. According to TheWrap, HBO and Apple made the announcement during today’s event for the Apple Watch.
“We are thrilled to be here this morning to announce our standalone streaming service HBO Now, and Apple is our exclusive partner,” HBO chairman/CEO Richard Plepler said today.
While the two companies didn’t announce a specific launch date, Plepler said it will be available by early April. That will be just in time for the new season of Game of Thrones, which starts on April 12. HBO Now will cost $14.99 a month.
Hopefully, Apple’s exclusive period won’t be too long. The Hollywood Reporter notes that HBO is still going to talk with other distributors about carrying HBO Now, so Roku and Amazon Fire users won’t be completely out of luck.
HBO Now will launch with over 2,000 shows and movies, including current shows like Girls, Veep and GoT, plus past HBO shows like Sex and the City.
For those who don’t have an Apple TV box yet, Apple said that the price will drop from $99 to $69.
image of ‘Girls’ star Lena Dunham courtesy of INFphoto.com