HBO is a great network that produces captivating content and amazing entertainment. With the influx of some great streaming services, how could HBO stay behind!
America’s favorite cable TV service provider got into online streaming with HBO GO back in 2010. And, HBO NOW started entertaining the audiences from 2015.
Also, the news around the corner is that the panacea of all streaming, HBO MAX is also here. In this article, we discuss the difference between HBO GO and HBO NOW. Read on to learn more.
HBO GO
Started around a decade ago HBO GO was Warner’s Bros attempt to bring TV to the user’s screen imitating the on-demand model of streaming. All the shows that are airing on HBO TV were available on GO along with the massive library of content archived with HBO.
In the U.S., HBO GO cannot be bought directly, rather it is a service tagged along with the TV Cable connection. The login ID and password were to be provided by the cable operator.
The best part was that HBO GO came at no extra to the subscriber. So, if you had the satellite or cable TV package, HBO GO was available to you. The catch here was that if your cable operator did not have a deal with HBO, then you cannot get the services of GO.
HBO NOW
So, you know that HBO GO came with extra baggage or it can be the other way around too. In any case, you cannot separate HBO GO from cable TV. So, as a solution to this lifelong marriage, HBO came out with NOW.
HBO NOW was released in 2015 for those customers who didn’t want the cable TV, but still wanted to get the best of HBO. So, HBO NOW was available as a streaming service on the HBO NOW mobile application at $14.99 per month.
However, HBO NOW had a sense of exclusivity and gave an impression of being the special customers of HBO.
Is There a Difference Between Content and Pricing?
Content-wise there were no differences between HBO GO and HBO NOW. All the shows and movies that are a part of HBO can be streamed on both platforms without any limitations.
In addition to this, HBO NOW is available at $14.99 per month and the pricing structure of HBO GO depends on your cable TV subscription.
All the major tv service providers, like AT&T, Comcast, Flex, Direct TV, Spectrum, among others, needed to subscribe to HBO to be able to forward the HBO GO services to the customers.
The Shutdown of HBO GO & HBO NOW
Everything that is too good does not stay for long. Both HBO GO and HBO NOW is going to be discontinued. HBO GO will be discontinued from 31st July 2020 as per an official notification by Warner Bros.
However, when it comes to HBO NOW, it is going to be rebranded into HBO MAX, which is going to be the new face of online streaming by HBO.
Earlier the content distribution by both the services had certain differences which also divided the audiences and brought its own difficulties. To get rid of such a system, HBO decided to disband HBO GO and revamp HBO NOW.
The Bottom Line
In the end, the customers can get access to HBO MAX that is blessed with all the HBO produced content and provides a new platform to the audiences.
The best is that the subscription model is unchanged with HBO MAX. So, if you stream HBO via your cable TV connection or if you have subscribed to HBO NOW, you need to get a new plan for HBO MAX.
Both the previous subscriptions will be converted to HBO MAX’s subscription at no extra cost. In the end, you have a win-win situation on your hands, so there’s no need to worry about. Just keep streaming and enjoying HBO as you have been before.
