Apple Exclusivity With HBO Upsetting To Some Fans
By Ani Bundel
I suppose Apple’s deal with HBO to be the exclusive provider of HBO Now via Apple TV was going to ruffle the feathers of some folks. Especially when word got out that the exclusivity deal for Apple TV to carry HBO Now only lasts three months. That’s right–Apple basically made the deal only through the end of Game of Thrones Season 5. After that, we’ll all be able to get HBO Now, through whatever set up we already own.
So of course, the question is–is it worth it to buy Apple TV, when you already have a PS3 or PS4, or a Roku or an Amazon Fire? Apple is clearly betting that most folks haven’t committed to streaming TV device, or perhaps do not realize their gaming console doubles as such, and that this enticement to Game of Thrones watchers will tip the the market in their direction.
Does the Apple exclusivity deal make sense? Well, in one sense it does…
After all, let’s not forget, the Lannisters are total Apple snobs. Check out this picture of Cersei hanging out in King’s Landing with her iPhone. I mean, you’ve met Apple Snobs, I’m sure, and Tywin Lannister, may he rest in peace, is just the sort of man who got in early on the Mac comeback in the aughts. His rigid conformity and brand identification would dictate that the Red Keep would not only be mac only when it comes to computing, but would use Safari as the default browser, despite the clear superiority of Google Chrome.
Tech might even be under orders not to allow browser downloads, to prevent people from trying to slip in Firefox or Opera. (You know how Cersei figured out Shae was Tyrion’s mistress? The gold iPhone he gave her. Everyone knows servants only have castle issued blackberries. Also, the way Littlefinger and Olenna Tyrell kept such a sharp eye on Sansa was the Samsung Galaxy that Margaery’s grandmother gave her as a rebellious wedding present after getting scooped and seeing the girl married off to Tyrion.)
Now, if the Starks were ascendant in the world of Westeros, those Andriod user types would be more likely to suggest pushing out HBO Now to all brands, and perhaps even suggest an open platform variation for Linux. But sadly, most of the Starks are dead, and since everyone keeps asking when the next book will come out, Martin keeps killing more of them off. So here we are, locked into Apple users only for Season 5, a Lannister influenced decision, even if HBO execs probably insist that Tywin didn’t have any real say in the negotiations.
On a personal note, I will not be cutting the cord when HBO Now comes out, either via Apple TV only, or when it comes to our PS4. Despite the $15 vs $50-odd a month difference, my provider has cleverly bundled HBO in with STARZ, so to give up HBO would deprive me of Outlander, and that’s just not going to work. I do believe HBO’s step towards unbundling is the way of the future, and I fully expect this hurdle to get solved sooner rather than later. But it’s factors like that that will make the process slower than it otherwise might happen.