Better late than never, right?
After watching streaming-media devices from competitors like Amazon, Apple and Google snatch up the HBO Now app for their respective users, Roku finally made HBO's Internet-only subscription service available for its users, too. HBO Now was added to Roku streaming devices Thursday, as the company becomes the last major streaming device to get the popular standalone service.
The news comes just two days after Roku announced its highly-anticipated Roku 4 streaming player, which is compatible with both 4K Ultra HD (UHD) and HD TVs, and is touted as its "best streaming player ever." It is available for preorder at $129.99, with an expected shipping date of Oct. 21.
Despite being the last streaming device to support HBO Now, Roku users should nonetheless enjoy the service. After announcing its Internet-only subscription service for $15 per month, HBO Now launched this past April via Apple devices, before being added to the Google and Amazon platforms.
Now, Roku will get a first-hand feel for how popular the app is among its users. According to Parks Associates, as reported by CNet, Roku was the top-selling streaming player in the United States last year and the most-used streaming device in households with high-speed Internet access. Those facts could spell a landslide of users subscribing to HBO's service starting Thursday.
Although Roku was the last to add the app, the device might generate more subscriptions of HBO Now than any of its competitors' devices.
Especially if you're an existing Roku user who gets his or her fill of television away from the streaming box by watching HBO, Thursday marks a special day.
