HBO's Standalone Streaming Service: When Will It Launch and How Much Will It Cost?

Good news, Game of Thrones fans without an HBO subscription! You might soon be able to watch the fantasy drama series without peeking into your neighbor's window or shackling yourself to a wallet-draining cable package.

HBO's previously announced standalone streaming service, called HBO Now, has an official launch date and price point, International Business Times reports. HBO Now is targeting an April release in an effort to coincide with the Season 5 premiere of HBO's biggest property, Game of Thrones, which is scheduled for Sunday, April 12. However, an exact release date for HBO Now has yet to be announced.

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As for the price, IBT says HBO Now should cost cord-cutters about $15 a month (the price of two Chipotle burritos for unlimited Entourage!). That will give subscribers access to HBO's back catalog of original programming, which includes The Sopranos, The Wire and Sex and the City, as well as on-demand viewing for current programming like Game of Thrones, Girls and True Detective. The cost of $15 per month is roughly what customers pay for HBO when it's included in a cable package.

A la carte television subscriptions have been a big topic among those looking for alternate ways to legally watch their favorite shows, and HBO Now is the latest blow for cable companies looking to keep their monopoly on the market. If HBO Now succeeds, it's hard to imagine that other premium content creators won't try the same approach.

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