HBO Now has finally expanded beyond the Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) device universe, with the platform launching apps for Android mobile devices and Amazon Fire tablets.
The a la carte streaming service will soon launch on Amazon's Fire TV, Fire TV Stick and Google's Chromecast OTT devices as well, HBO said.
The Time Warner Inc. programming service launched its big a la carte streaming platform in April, with a three-month exclusivity window during which it would only be viewable on Apple devices including iPhones, iPads and Apple TV streaming boxes.
Despite these restrictions, media analyst Richard Greenfield suggested that the streaming HBO Now platform may have as many as 1 million subscribers already.
However, noting the HBO Now app ranks as the iTunes Store's No. 1 highest grosser for iPad and second highest for iPhone, Magid Associates' Tero Kuittinen estimates that the service is up to around 2 million subs, with monthly revenues somewhere between $30 million and $50 million.
The launch of HBO as a streaming video service that doesn't require a pay-TV subscription has been one of the more controversial occurrences in the pay-TV industry, with some operators--including No. 1 U.S. service Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA)--saying HBO Now will lead to "cannibalization" of the pay-TV business.
But the service has actually been embraced by other operators including Cablevision (NYSE: CVC), which markets HBO Now along with its broadband products. The service is also embedded into Dish' Network's (NASDAQ: DISH) Sling TV OTT service.
HBO Now's expansion came as SVOD service Hulu announced new device support of its own. The company said it is now supporting the Apple Watch (as a remote control device).
For more:
- read this HBO press release
- read this Amazon press release
- read this story from The Verge
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