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    HBO Now will be available through Android too this summer

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments757 Views
    In this file image released by HBO, Sophie Turner, as Sansa Stark, left, and Aidan Gillen, as Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish, appear in a scene from the HBO original series, "Game of Thrones." (AP Photo/HBO, File)

    By Tali Arbel, Business Writer

    NEW YORK (AP) --

    HBO Now, the premium channel's new online service for people who don't pay for cable, will be available through Android devices this summer.

    HBO Now has been available since April for people to get the service through their iPhones, iPads or an Apple TV, or who were customers of New York-area cable provider Cablevision. It costs $15 a month.

    Traditional TV subscriptions are slowly starting to slip as more people watch online video. Access to popular HBO shows like "Game of Thrones" and sports channels are some of the major draws of cable and satellite TV packages with hundreds of channels. Such packages easily run you $70 and up after promotions run out.

    But with HBO Now, the channel's shows and movies are available for people who don't pay for cable. As for sports, Dish Network's Sling TV makes ESPN and about 20 other cable channels available over the Internet for $20 a month.

    You would also need Internet access. Internet prices vary. Comcast, the country's largest cable company, advertises high-speed Internet by itself at $70 to $75 a month after promotions expire.

    Tags:HBO Now



    DirecTV calls off acquisition of rival Dish, possibly ending a yearslong pursuit

    Friday, November 22, 2024
    Dish Network satellite dishes are shown at an apartment complex in Palo Alto, Calif., Feb. 23, 2011. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma, File)

    DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.

    The deal was reliant on Dish bond holders agreeing to trade in the debt they held for debt in the new company, a swap that would have cost them about $1.6 billion, collectively.

    The retreat by DirecTV this week may end a years-long effort by the company to acquire both Dish and Sling after it announced the bid in September.

    DirecTV was looking to acquire Dish TV and Sling TV from its owner EchoStar in a debt exchange transaction that included a payment of $1, plus the assumption of approximately $9.8 billion in debt. The deal was contingent on several factors, including regulatory approvals and bondholders writing off debt related to Dish.

    "While we believed a combination of DirecTV and Dish would have benefited all stakeholders, we have terminated the transaction because the proposed exchange terms were necessary to protect DirecTV's balance sheet and our operational flexibility," DirecTV CEO Bill Morrow said in a statement.

    The prospect of a DirecTV-Dish combo has long been rumored, and reported talks resurfaced over the years. And the two almost merged more than two decades ago — but the Federal Communications Commission blocked the deal valued at the time at $18.5 billion deal, citing antitrust concerns.

    The pay-for-TV market has shifted significantly since. As more and more consumers tune into online streaming platforms, demand for more traditional satellite entertainment continues to shrink.

    DirecTV says that it will continue to invest in next-generation streaming platforms and offer new packaging options while integrating content from live TV alongside direct-to-consumer... Read More

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