HBO Now, the premium cabler’s standalone subscription package, will launch on Sony‘s PlayStation 4 and PS3 game consoles ahead of the Oct. 2 premiere of sci-fi thriller “Westworld.”
HBO also announced an agreement with Sony to bring HBO and Cinemax to PlayStation Vue, the over-the-top live TV service from Sony Interactive Entertainment, in the same time frame. HBO and Cinemax will be available for $15 each per month through PlayStation Vue. Under the terms of the deal, PlayStation Vue users who subscribe to HBO can access original series and other programming via HBO Now using multiple devices.
The companies are touting the fact that the new distribution agreements will go live in time for the debut of HBO’s original series “Westworld,” created by Jonathan Nolan and Lisa Joy and adapted from the 1973 film directed by Michael Crichton and starring Yul Brynner. The HBO series stars Anthony Hopkins, Ed Harris, Evan Rachel Wood, James Marsden and Thandie Newton.
“By expanding the ways that PlayStation users can access unparalleled programming like ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘The Night Of’ and ‘Last Week Tonight,’ we’re demonstrating our commitment to flexibility and quality,” said Jeff Dallesandro, HBO’s senior VP of worldwide digital distribution and business development.
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HBO Go, the Time Warner-owned programmer’s authenticated service for traditional pay-TV subscribers, launched on PS4 last year.
Sony expanded the availability of PlayStation Vue to all markets across in the U.S. this spring, after initially rolling out in individual markets (where the service offers local TV channels). PS Vue is accessible through devices including PS4, Roku, Google Chromecast, Apple iPads and iPhones, and Android phones and tablets.
According to HBO, the launch of HBO and Cinemax on PlayStation Vue marks the first time that either network’s live programming is available directly to consumers as a standalone offering without the need for a traditional bundle subscription. PS Vue also offers Showtime, Machinima, Fox Soccer Plus and a Showtime-Epix bundle as a la carte options.
