HBO Now Is Coming To Verizon Wireless

HBO Now, the cable company’s fledgling streaming service, will now be available to a much wider market thanks to a deal announced Tuesday with Verizon.

Variety reports that Verizon has agreed to sell HBO Now to its broadband customers. Under the agreement, HBO Now will be available to both Verizon’s wireline customers and its 100 million wireless subscribers.

“Our customers want choice in accessing premium content when and where they choose, on a variety of devices,” said Ben Grad, Verizon’s executive director of content strategy and acquisition. “HBO Now brings compelling content and choice to Verizon broadband customers today – and exciting possibilities for HBO content within Verizon’s pending mobile-video service.”

That pending service is Go90, which will include television episodes and music videos. Go90 would be a separate service from the HBO Now offering.

“This agreement with Verizon represents the commitment our companies share to respond to changing consumer behavior through innovation, bringing audiences the best in entertainment the way they want it,” said Jeff Dallesandro, HBO’s SVP of worldwide digital distribution and business development. “We’re excited to evolve our partnership with Verizon and bring HBO programming to a new generation of broadband-only customers.”

According to Time, HBO Now was launched as a stand-alone streaming option in April, but was limited to only Apple TV and Optimum customers. Efforts were made to expand HBO Now availability, and HBO Now will see a significant increase in reach with the Verizon deal.

HBO Now offers customers access to HBO’s original programs and theatrical movies at the same time they become available to regular HBO customers. According to PC Magazine, this includes Game of Thrones, True Detective, Ballers, and The Brink, as well as Silicon Valley, Veep, and The Leftovers. HBO Now users will also be able to see recent films like Birdman, The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies, The Theory of Everything, and Dumb and Dumber To. HBO Now subscribers also get access to live events like HBO’s boxing coverage, but this content can be delayed by several hours.

The deal brings HBO Now to wired broadband customers immediately. The Verizon wireless customers will have to wait a little longer to get access to HBO Now programming, however.

According to Variety, Verizon broadband customers can sign up for a free 30-day trial of HBO Now today.

[Image via HBO]