Android, Chromecast To Get HBO Now

[wraggster]

Google's I/O 2015 conference opened with a surprise announcement: that Chromecast, Android TV, and other Android devices will soon be able to offer HBO Now (http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/google-announces-hbo-now-for-chromecast-google-io/). "The announcement marks the end of a 7-week exclusive that Apple had on HBO's stand-alone streaming and on-demand video service," reports Digital Trends, and it also further weakens the exclusivity of cable TV packages. "Traditional TV subscriptions are slowly starting to slip (http://www.thespec.com/whatson-story/5651803-hbo-now-coming-to-android/)," one newspaper reports, "as more people watch online video." Other online streaming sites are already confronting the popularity of HBO's "Game of Thrones" series, with Netflix already experiencing a 33% dip in their online traffic (http://www.cnet.com/news/game-of-thrones-made-net-traffic-leap-for-hbo-and-dinged-netflix/) during the new season's online premiere and Amazon rushing to discount their "Game of Thrones" graphic novels (http://www.beyond-black-friday.com/2015/05/29/amazon-discounts-two-game-of-thrones-graphic-novels/), and the turmoil seems to be continuing in the online video space. "Shortly after the premier of the new season, HBO Now seems to have taken the top spot (http://www.technewstoday.com/23995-netflix-suffers-while-hbo-enjoys-the-traffic-through-game-of-thrones/) when it comes to internet traffic," reports one technology site, "causing a huge dent in Netflix's attempt to make it to the top."

http://news.slashdot.org/story/15/05/29/2136214/android-chromecast-to-get-hbo-now