HBO NOW y su relación con el resto de negocio de cable de Time Warner

(…) The Time Warner chief executive, Jeffrey Bewkes, said that HBO’s success was vital to Time Warner’s business and that HBO Now — a stand-alone service for $15 a month that doesn’t require a traditional TV subscription — would create a blueprint not only for the future of the network but also for the entire industry.

“We are building a foundation for the transformation of television networks, so that they will be available on demand and on mobile devices with a seamless interface for search,” he said. “This is leading the way for everybody.”

With the new service, Time Warner and HBO have to tread carefully so as not to jeopardize their core businesses. Both HBO and the other networks owned by Time Warner, including TNT and TBS, receive billions of dollars from cable and satellite companies for their programming. Mr. Bewkes and Mr. Plepler argue that the new service is complementary to their existing business, appealing to those who refuse to pay for cable or satellite TV. Yet some cable and satellite executives complain that HBO Now has the potential to undercut their offerings. For some smaller cable operators, the cost of HBO Now is cheaper than the rate they charge for HBO packages.

John Koblin y Emily Steel para The New York Times