HBO will dish out more original content and offer streaming services across the globe, taking cues from Netflix.
While HBO isn't exactly doing poorly on the cable subscription service, it isn't really doing well on the online side of things.
Compared to Netflix, HBO Now is relatively new, so it shouldn't come as much of a surprise how far behind it is to the go-to streaming service. To put things into perspective, Netflix has a staggering 75 million subscriber count, whereas HBO Now has about 800,000 paying customers.
HBO isn't going to stand for it, though, as the company is planning on taking some big measures to level the playing field.
HBO CEO Richard Plepler and Jeff Bewkes of Time Warner revealed what the company has in store for the future during Time Warner's Q4 earnings call.
For starters, Plepler intends to make HBO "ecosystem agnostic." It'll be like Netflix that way, where it's going to be available on practically any device, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, smart TVs and anything else along those lines.
Next, HBO is going to push out more original content at a faster rate to stay on pace in the competition. On that note, Netflix announced a few weeks back that it's going to work double-time in producing original content as well, aiming for a jaw-dropping 600 hours' worth.
In another Netflix-inspired move, HBO plans to launch content on the international market, ensuring that every show and movie will find the right audience – or at least, improve the chances of that happening.
It's also worth mentioning that Netflix has expanded its services to 130 countries, including India and South Korea, to name a few.
HBO has more cards up its sleeve, especially the debuts of Jon Stewart, "Girls" and the new season of "Game of Thrones." With these upcoming shows, the company hopes to improve the number of subscribers for the $15 per month HBO Now.
One takeaway from all of this is that cord-cutting fans of "Game of Thrones" won't have to be shackled to the restraints of the traditional TV-cable setup.
On the other side of the fence, Netflix is not going to back down without a fight. The streaming service's 600 hours of content in line and expansion to 130 countries is a testament to that, not to mention that it's taking actions with the goal to "become HBO faster than HBO can become us," according to the head of content for Netflix Ted Sarandos.
It would be interesting to see how each of these powerhouses in the entertainment industry will perform moving forward, with HBO gradually turning into Netflix and vice versa.
