Programmers speak: HBO ponders standalone, Discovery spurns TV Everywhere

Cable programmers are caught up as fully in the over-the-top online content video battle as service providers, so it's not surprising to see them having a say on where their wares will be shown.

HBO, for instance, is pondering a separation from cable's digital packages where it would not be "overly hindered by having to be part of $60 or $80 or $100 packages" but could sell its wares "through existing distributors" over new digital platforms, said Time Warner Chairman-CEO Jeff Bewkes.

Discovery (Nasdaq: DISCA), meanwhile, doesn't mind being tied to cable packages but isn't doing somersaults of joy over the idea of being available via TV Everywhere. "That's a goodie for them (service providers) and that means there should be some economic goodie for us," Discovery CEO David Zaslav said.

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