Time Warner’s HBO has joined a growing number of companies that provide television shows and other entertainment content over the Internet to mobile phones and other devices. In a Q&A with Vision2Mobile, Laura Young – HBO’s director of Corporate Affairs – provided some background on her company and the HBO GO application that was launched earlier this year.
vision2mobile: How many subscribers does HBO have?
Laura Young: Home Box Office has approximately 40 million HBO and Cinemax subscribers in the U.S. and approximately 85 million worldwide.
V2M: When did HBO first release its HBO GO application?
LY: The HBO GO mobile app was launched in May 2011.
V2M: What devices (laptop, etc.) did the app originally support?
LY: At launch, the HBO GO mobile app was available on Apple iPad, iPhone and iPod touch as well as select Android devices.
V2M: Can you provide a list of the smartphones and tablets HBO GO supports?
LY: HBO GO is supported on iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation) and the iPad, and requires running an iOS 3.2 or higher. For Android smartphones, HBO GO requires Android version 2.1-2.3., but not all are currently supported.
V2M: What are HBO’s plans to expand the app to other devices?
LY: We are looking to expand HBO GO to additional devices and platforms and will continue to offer to the product on the types of devices that our subscribers are using to access video content – Internet connected televisions, gaming consoles, additional tablets, etc.
V2M: Can you give us a sense of the volume and diversity of content that a customer can watch on HBO GO?
LY: HBO GO offers consumers instant, exclusive access to more than 1400 titles, including every episode of every season of the best HBO shows and Hollywood blockbusters – any time and from any U.S. location with a high speed broadband connection. Subscribers can watch new episodes of current hit shows like Game of Thrones, Boardwalk Empire and True Blood as well as all seasons of classic shows like The Sopranos, Sex and the City and Deadwood, HBO original films, miniseries, sports, documentaries and specials, plus a wide selection of recent blockbuster theatricals.
