While cord-cutting (dropping cable television in favor of streaming video over the Internet) is still a fringe phenomenon, the Internet loves to speculate about about if and when HBO will offer a broadband-only subscription. Until recently, network executives dismissed the idea, saying that they were happy with their current business model. But this week, they hinted that HBO could eventually be a surcharge on your Internet bill instead of your cable bill. Possibly. Maybe. In most cases, cable and Internet providers are the same entity, so HBO could probably renegotiate existing contracts.
HBO executives are certainly aware that most networks have digital offerings and that the market is inexorably shifting to on-line distribution models, which makes it more likely than not that we’ll see broadband-only HBO subscriptions in the next couple years. I’d certainly sign up for one, assuming that I can still watch the sexposition on Game of Thrones in all of its sweaty high-definition glory.
