Stand-alone HBO Now has 800,000 subscribers


Peter Kafka for Re/Code:

The Internet demanded it for years, and last year HBO finally gave it to them. But so far, only 800,000 people have subscribed to HBO Now, the pay TV channel's Web-based service.

The number isn't blowing anyone away, but it could be early. It would be interesting to see what happens when Game of Thrones starts back up, for example. Subscriptions could go in cycles until HBO Now lures people to stick around.

Also, people may be still wrapping their heads around new options for TV in what traditionally has been a stagnant marketplace.

I also liked this bit:
HBO would like help selling HBO Now from conventional pay TV distributors like Comcast, which already bundle conventional HBO to their customers. But so far the company has faced lots of resistance from the pay TV business...

You don't say...