HBO by Subscription: It's About Time

HBO has announced that it plans to provide customers with a stand-alone product similar to HBO GO no longer linked to cable access.  That is great news for people who have cut the cord with cable yet cannot get access to great shows such as Game of Thrones and True Detective while they are still being broadcast.  HBO already offers such access to overseas customers, but it was reluctant to rock the boat with cable companies in the US.  It seems the rocking is no longer a concern.

So how much should we expect to pay for this new service?  Business Insider reported the cost will be about $15 per month, or twice that of Netflix and Hulu.  And other networks are going the same route as HBO, with CBS and Starz also planning to provide a cable-free streaming service for a fee to interested customers (though Starz is only doing this for non-US customers as this point).  

So is this good news, or does it mean we will now need to go to 25 different locations to find our favorite shows if we are not will to pay $200 per month for our cable fix?  It is unclear, but the recent drop in Netflix's stock may indicate that the heyday of TV show aggregators such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Hulu may be coming to an end.  Content may want to be free, but companies want to be paid.  And the bills may start to pile up again.