Bad news for cord-cutting Game of Thrones fans living in the UK. HBO’s brand new proprietary deal with Apple TV (HBO Now), will not be available for those who live in the United Kingdom. According to Belfast Telegraph, Sky Atlantic is still the only way to enjoy Game of Thrones, if you live across the pond from the United States.
Find out more, after the jump.
The Belfast Telegraph reports that HBO does not have a base in the UK.
"“HBO — which is famous for making The Sopranos and other high-end, big-budget shows — has no real presence in the UK. The rights to its programming are owned by Sky, which broadcasts much of the content on Sky Atlantic.”"
According to the Telegraph, Sky Atlantic does have an Apple TV app through Sky Now TV, where users can watch Game of Thrones, and subscriptions to that service starts at £6.99 a month. This news comes as a disappointment to many Apple TV users in the UK, as they will have to wait till the episodes become available on iTunes, in order to legally download them.
HBO is making history with the Game of Thrones Season 5 premiere, as they will be simulcasting the show in 170 countries. This means that if you are watching in the United Kingdom, on Sky Atlantic, and are wanting to take part in the live-action shenanigans and spoiler filled rants that are sure to bombard social media, then you will have to stay up until 2am on April 13th. (Update: Sky Atlantic will NOT take part in the simulcast. See more here.) Of course, you could DVR it and watch when you wake-up, or wait until 9pm the following night.