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Cord-cutters, binge-watchers and TV fans rejoice! Television watching changed in a big way last week that may have a profound impact on how you view your favorite shows. Someday soon you may have total control over which networks you subscribe to, with direct access to the TV networks you want to watch.
Last week two major networks announced stand-alone subscription options for viewers, cutting out the middle man of cable and satellite providers. HBO and CBS revealed plans for subscription packages that give access to their libraries for a monthly fee. Cord-cutters, who have given up on cable and satellite providers, now will have access to many more shows
HBO
Currently in the US you must have a cable or satellite TV provider and an HBO subscription to watch HBO and access HBO GO, the company’s app and streaming service. Seeking to expand its viewership, HBO will be offering direct access to viewers without the need for a cable or satellite provider.
HBO first introduced direct access to its content in Norway, much to the envy of viewers in other countries who wanted the same ability to watch HBO shows without the need for cable and satellite providers. HBO Nordic now also serves Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Amazon has been offering limited HBO access through its Prime video service with shows such as The Sopranos and The Wire, but shows such as Game of Thrones and True Detective are not included.
Richard Piepler, Chairman and CEO of HBO, last week addressed the 10 million US households who have high-speed Internet service but no cable or satellite TV service and announced:
“That is a large and growing opportunity that should no longer be left untapped. It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO. So, in 2015, we will launch a stand-alone, over-the-top, HBO service in the United States. We will work with our current partners. And, we will explore models with new partners. 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.”
Further details about this “over-the-top” service weren’t provided, but pricing for the service probably wouldn’t be less than the $15/month HBO charges to its cable and satellite subscribers. While this fee would make it more expensive than other streaming services, such as Netflix and Hulu Plus, HBO’s catalog of premium original content may justify its price tag.
See, Variety, Emmys Scorecard: HBO Leads Networks, ‘Sherlock’ Tops Programs.
HBO also has exclusive rights to many recent hit movies, including half of the top 25 movies released in the past 12 months, while Netflix has only three.
Over-the-top does seem to imply that the service would offer more than the existing HBO GO. Will the new stand-alone service offer content not available to cable/satellite providers? We’ll know more when HBO gives us further details closer to launch.
CBS
If you’re a fan of hit CBS TV shows such as Survivor, Amazing Race, Big Brother, How I Met Your Mother and Big Bang Theory, then you may be a fan of CBS All Access, the company’s new stand-alone subscription services. CBS was more specific than HBO when it announced its All Access pass last week. Priced at $5.95/month, the subscription is available now via CBS.com and the CBS app and includes:
- Live stream CBS feeds
- Next-day access to full episodes of CBS shows
- On-demand access to a library of 6500 CBS shows
Note that Live streaming is only available in some US cities. Certain shows, such as NFL football games, will not be included in All Access.
Unlike HBO, viewers can watch CBS shows free via over-the-air broadcasts without the need for a cable or satellite subscription. But access to the CBS show library and live-streaming via the website and apps will now be available only with a paid All Access subscription.
CBS All Access is available for $5.99/month with the following deals:
- One week free trial
- 20% off for 6 months using the Promo code 20OFF6M (expires November 15)
The CBS App is available free for:
- iPhone/iPad/iPod Touch
- Android devices
- Kindle Fire and other Android devices
- Windows Phone
- Blackberry devices
Poll
Do you like the idea of a stand-alone TV subscription? Will you be giving these services a try? Vote in The Wonder of Tech poll:
Your Thoughts
Are you excited about this new kind of stand-alone TV subscriptions? Will you be signing up for them? Do you think this is the future for TV shows? What over-the-top features would you like to see offered with the HBO stand-alone service? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Hi Carolyn,
I don’t watch much TV, but anything that gives better access to quality content is good. I tend to watch in bed, but get so bored with it, I end up doing something else. I watch Downton Abbey because I like the photography, but the actual programme is like watching paint dry.
My post today reviews my afternoon out taking pictures yesterday. I wrote it with the local newspaper in mind, so they might publish it too! It was very windy yesterday, but I got around a fair bit! Halloween and bonfire night next!
Hi Mike, Yes, my husband and I have become binge-watchers, enjoying entire seasons of shows at time. When we have to wait an entire week for the next episode of a show, we get frustrated!
Whether more networks begin offering these stand-alone subscriptions remains to be seen. But giving viewers more choices is a good thing!
Hi Carolyn,
I wish I could say I watch a lot of TV 🙂
Honestly speaking, with the limited time at hand nowadays, thanks to the blog community and forum now, I just ‘hear’ the TV while working alongside, and that’s always been the case, while I take care of social networking that time.
I think it’s just the weekends perhaps when I might really close all work and sit to watch a movie or something interesting, though such days are rare for me, a real luxury I would say. Having said that, we don’t have both of these kind of TV subscriptions our end, but mainly the dish television or cable operators, so we have just that limited choice mainly. I guess we’d have to wait before deciding between these, once they come to our end.
Thanks for sharing. Have a nice week ahead 🙂
Hi Harleena, Yes, my husband and I watch TV shows at the end of the day to unwind. We’ve become fans of watching shows on HBO GO because we’re subscribers through our satellite TV provider. So we are very interested to see what HBO will be offering next year.
If you don’t watch TV shows then this isn’t big news for you. But this may be big news not only for US TV fans but for others around the world if these networks continue to expand internationally.
Finally!! It’s about time that consumers had a say in what programming we wish to pay for. I think this will lead to a sea change in television and specifically in the cable industry.
Hi Kathy, Yes, these developments offer more choices for those who don’t want to pay for cable or satellite service but still want access to quality programs from HBO and CBS. Stand-alone subscription services offer a new income stream for networks so it will be interesting to see if any other networks follow suit.
Hi Carolyn,
First This is Great Post , i am First Time Visit Your Blog Really Impress with Your Post Good Work , I wish I could say I watch a lot of TV Honestly speaking, with the limited time at hand nowadays, thanks to the blog community and forum now, I just ‘hear’ the TV while working alongside, and that’s always been the case, while I take care of social networking that time. Thanks ,
Regard
Leena
Hi Leena, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Yes, if you watch TV selectively you may not want all of the channels and may want to subscribe to them individually. It will be interesting to see where the future of TV will be going!
Hey Carolyn,
So I’m sure you can answer this but let’s say that I miss an episode of Survivor because of a power outage and it doesn’t get taped on my TV. Does this mean that I now can’t watch that particular episode that I missed online unless I have the paid subscription service to watch those shows?
I’m NOT going to be happy about that at all. The only time I ever watch something online is if I missed an episode of something because for some unknown reason it didn’t tape the episode. Yep, I tape everything with my DVR and watch it late at night or several days or even weeks after the show has aired.
I am hooked on certain shows as you very well know and would be really upset if I couldn’t watch it after the fact. I’m not a big HBO fan, their movie line up is horrible so that’s no loss at all.
Thanks for the scoop and I’m not sure yet if I’m happy about it or not. LOL!!!
~Adrienne
Hi Adrienne, Great question. I just checked at cbs.com and was able to locate all previous episodes of Survivor for this season. Perhaps access to previous seasons will require a subscription. Time will tell how CBS will restrict access to its shows. I’m with you, I hope we have an option in case the DVR doesn’t record. I have satellite TV so we don’t get TV reception during heavy storms.
We don’t watch movies on HBO either but we do watch their original programming. My husband and I are hooked on their shows! We subscribe to HBO through our satellite TV provider but it’s interesting to think that how we watch our shows may change soon.
Thanks Carolyn for checking into that. Previous seasons I’m not concerned about but as I did mention, things happen and the shows just don’t get taped and I would hate to miss it although I will live. I guess we’ll have to see right!
~Adrienne
Exactly, Adrienne. That would not be progress if we couldn’t watch a missed episode online!