COMCAST launches ‘INTERNET PLUS’ HBO GO bundle. FUTURE APPROACHES.
A few of us were bandying about on the site a couple of days ago about the possibility of HBO Go being released by the company as a stand-alone subscription service. That time still isn’t here. However, Comcast is inching towards that reality. Fighting the inevitable entropic loss to those who wish to evolve past the basic cable package with a sort-of conciliatory gesture.
Just last month Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes said he was open to the possibility of bundling HBO Go with broadband subscriptions, and it looks like that vision is now being executed — in a way. As spotted by DSL Reports and GigaOM, Comcast is now offering a package called Internet Plus. It puts together a 25 Mbps internet connection, a basic TV lineup of 45 channels, Comcast’s own streaming video service Streampix, and most importantly, a subscription to HBO and HBO Go. According to DSL Reports it’s priced between $40 and $50 and is only available in certain markets. We were able to confirm that it’s available in sections of Northern California for $39.99 a month.
The package is essentially what many cord cutters, and Game of Thrones fans, have been asking for: a way to legally watch their favorite shows online over a speedy internet connection, without paying for expensive, full-scale TV packages that they never watch. To get a sense of how little the basic TV service adds to the cost of Internet Plus, one needs only to look at Comcast’s other $39.99 package. That deal is made up of the same 25 Mbps internet connection paired with telephone service — with no television or streaming video options at all.