Recent speculations is stirring that HBO is planning to offer a direct-to-consumer streaming service next year, this is expected to coincide with the release of the fifth season of its widely-acclaimed and highly-anticipated TV series "Game of Thrones". This newly developed service which was announced way back October of this year is envisioned to be able to reach a much wider audience since not all homes has access to cable TV. "Game of Thrones" is only available through cable subscription and HBO Go which is also a streaming service. HBO's drive to garner a larger viewing audience can also be justified by the recent availability of HBO Go on Xbox One.
The announcement of this new service however has raised some serious question. What will happen to HBO Go once this new service is made available to the general public? On the other hand, what could possibly be the response of other networks with regards this new service? Is HBO building a new technology in order to reach a much bigger viewership? Recent reports also shows that HBO decided to drop its ongoing project "Maui" and as its replacement use MLB Advanced's highly praised technology. So far there is more question than answer as to what the future holds for the streaming-services but this will clearly create a whole new market of viewership. In a released statement, HBO's SVP for Digital Products, Drew Angeloff said that HBO Go would still be on the top of the company's priority.
"Game of Thrones" is fantasy-drama series created based on the "The Song of Ice and Fire" a series of widely successful novel written by George R.R. Martin. It largely revolves around the fictitious kingdom of Westeros where different powerful families vie for power through a deadly game of politics and deceit. HBO has previously released four seasons of the series and will see the release of the fifth installment sometime in April next year.
