HBO GO - The Future of Television

Hello HBO GO, welcome to the future - of TV.

HBO is not only producing some of the best TV, it is leading the pack in the future of TV programming distribution. The current functionality of HBO GO, which is accessible only when linked to your cable provider account and only if you have an HBO package, will eventually become a thing of the past.

In my humble opinion, HBO is laying the ground work and prepping itself for the future of TV. Soon (maybe by 2014) HBO will start offering access to HBO GO on a subscription based model. Which will, in-turn, be the beginning of the end for the cable box.

Cable companies are fighting to hold on, as they dread the idea of existing solely as an ISP (Internet Service Provider) but its going to happen. Sorry guys. The future of TV distribution is HBO GO style.

This is a great thing for cable network channels like HBO, AMC, Discovery, and the like, because the consumer will be the winner, as well as the network. With the advent of Internet connected televisions and cheap boxes like AppleTV, I believe the future of TV will allow consumers the ability to build their custom channel lineup by network - and even by show.

This will give companies like HBO the ability to distribute programming on their own, as well as sell direct advertising/subscription packages. However, companies like Hulu and Netflix are also positioned properly to benefit from this next version of television as services that will offer subscriptions and rentals all from one account. So look for deals with Hulu/Netflix services and network stations. Oh, wait! That’s already happened…

You’ll notice that cable companies are running in this direction, with Comcast putting a ton into Xfinity, building their own online solution. However, I see a problem in that unless cable companies forget the old model and adapt, they won't appeal to the next generation of “I just want, what I want. Nothing else please and thank you.”

A perfect example of adaption is the music industry with iTunes. The idea of buying just one song from an album was, well, a horrible idea to artists. They felt like “wait, the album is an experience, you can’t just buy one song!” But they adapted. iTunes made it so you can just buy the one song you love and boom, success.

Allowing subscriptions on both the network and show level is the future of TV and the direction every network must go.