HBO is looking to develop its own OTT presence in the world, which could spell good news for those who can't get or don't want Sky Atlantic. However, it sounds like their shows won't come cheap by PPV. Hopefully, they will provide a subscription alternative.
According to the article, HBO will look to expand on a country by country basis, and the current contract with Sky may prevent them from launching in the UK for the time being. But this could be good news for the medium term.
http://www.digitaltveurope.net/75812...on-revolution/
Plepler: HBO will benefit from ‘distribution revolution’
HBO stands to benefit from changes taking place in the content distribution landscape and the value of its brand will be more relevant than ever in the future, according to Richard Plepler.
HBO’s chairman and CEO made the claim while speaking on stage at MIPCOM, where he was presented with Variety magazine’s Vanguard award yesterday evening.
Plepler said that in a world where there is a “surfeit” of scripted content of varying quality, the value of HBO’s brand, signifying quality, would only increase in value.
“What will matter going forward…is brands,” he said. People will understand that HBO stands for “superior programming across a range of genres” and decisions on programming will continue to be made by the company “on the basis of whether or not it elevates our brand”.
Plepler said that the HBO marque is about “curated quality” and added that there will continue to be “a huge market for that”. He said that despite intensified competition for talent, the “line [of projects] at our door” is “longer than ever”.
With regard to changes in the distribution landscape, he said that the emergence of ‘skinny bundles’ with a lower price point than old-fashioned big basic offerings is good for HBO. Because HBO has always been a premium a la carte offering, the cheaper the bundle, the easier it will be for it to sell its service on top of that.
Asked whether HBO is now inclining towards an ‘OTT first’ strategy following recent moves, including the launch of its new OTT TV service in Spain, Plepler said HBO would continue to work with distribution platforms, adding that the company had helped operators “make their bundles stickier” and had always “made money for its partners”.
He said that the programmer had a solid licensing business internationally and will look “region by region” in deciding whether to launch OTT services in the future.