Skip to main content

HBO Says No to Netflix Streaming

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Netflix wants them all. From the biggest studio to the smallest, Netflix has begun to expand its “watch it now” streaming video section with hopes of reaching agreements with all the major studios. Unfortunately, HBO, which owns the internet rights to several Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox and Universal movies, has no plans of giving up those rights.

Recently, Netflix announced that it was planning on expanding its online library. The first move was to renegotiate deals with the studios, including one that cost Netflix Warner Bros’ new releases for one month (as part of the deal, Blockbuster will retain one month exclusive rights to new releases)  in return for greater access to the Warner Bros. online catalog.

Then last week Netflix announced that it had reached a deal with Epix that would expand the libraries of movies released by Paramount, Lionsgate and MGM. The deal would further develop the streaming library that also includes movies from Disney, Sony and many more.

But one jewel that seems to have slipped out of Netflix’s hands is HBO, who have rebuked Netflix’s advances.

Bloomberg is reporting that HBO is currently working on its own online streaming video site, called HBO Go, which will directly compete with Netflix for the growing online movie market. The service is expected to launch within six months, and it will be free to current subscribers. No word yet on what the cost will be for new viewers.

Once HBO Go is up and running, he service will offer over 800 hours per month of HBO’s movie and TV shows. The service will first be offered to customers of Comcast and Verizon Communications.

The battle lines have been drawn.

Editors' Recommendations

Ryan Fleming
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Ryan Fleming is the Gaming and Cinema Editor for Digital Trends. He joined the DT staff in 2009 after spending time covering…
Malicious bots make up 73% of internet traffic, report says
italy agcom pirate anti piracy download bay software keyboard skull music cyber crime

In a concerning revelation by the fraud control platform Arkose Labs, about 73% of internet traffic to websites and apps that was analyzed between January and September 2023 has been attributed to bots engaging in malicious activities. This revelation sparks discussions about the significant drain on valuable resources caused by such nefarious actions.

The third quarter of 2023 witnessed the dominance of five primary categories of bad bot activities, including account takeover, scraping, fake account creation, account management, and in-product abuse. This is similar to the second quarter, with the notable exception of in-product abuse stepping in for card testing.

Read more
Here’s why people are saying GPT-4 is getting ‘lazy’
An OpenAI graphic for ChatGPT-4.

OpenAI and its technologies have been in the midst of scandal for most of November. Between the swift firing and rehiring of CEO Sam Altman and the curious case of the halted ChatGPT Plus paid subscriptions, OpenAI has kept the artificial intelligence industry in the news for weeks.

Now, AI enthusiasts have rehashed an issue that has many wondering whether GPT-4 is getting "lazier" as the language model continues to be trained. Many who use it speed up more intensive tasks have taken to X (formerly Twitter) to air their grievances about the perceived changes.

Read more
These are the best microphones for streaming you can buy
Elgato Wave 3 microphone on a desk.

Streaming is as popular today as it's ever been, and if you're interested in giving it a go, you'll need a good microphone for the job. A solid gaming headset will do the trick, but a decent mic will be your best bet. The question is: Do you need to pay for a premium model? Not all mics are built the same, and some are better for the casual environment of streaming than others.

Here are the best microphones for streaming you can buy, with recommendation for a range of price options and use cases.

Read more