HBO reportedly in talks with Apple for HBO Now launch

HBO and Apple are reportedly in talks that could see Apple TV become a key launch partner for HBO’s planned new US OTT service.

According to the International Business Times, HBO and its online video platform provider, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, have held talks with Apple ahead of the planned launch of the HBO Now service in the US next month. The service is expected to debut with the fifth season of flagship show Game of Thrones.

According to the report, Apple, which already provides the HBO Go service to authenticated HBO cable subscribers, may add a second app for the HBO Now service in a bid to drive uptake of Apple TV. 

HBO is planning to use a range of streaming devices and services, including Sony PlayStation and Xbox games consoles, and the Roku streaming service to reach US consumers direct, although some cable operators have expressed interest in bundling the service with broadband for subscribers that do not take TV. The service is expected to be priced at US$15, according to the IB Times, less than previously expected but higher than a subscription to Netflix.