HBO To Launch Streaming Service In Caribbean And Latin America

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados CMC – HBO Latin America, last Thursday, announced plans to launch a new digital platform for HBO GO as a paid online service in the Caribbean and Latin American by the end of the year.

The company says, it plans to start deploying the service in markets throughout the region, beginning with a launch in Colombia.

By launching HBO GO as a streaming service à la carte, HBO Latin America will offer Premium content from the HBO/MAX channels, for the first time in the region, to consumers who have a broadband connection alone.

HBO GO is currently available as a complement to the Premium HBO/MAX subscription package through pay TV operators in the region.

With the launch of the new platform as an online subscription service, broadband only consumers will be able to have access to HBO GO through distributors offering the service throughout all of Spanish-speaking Latin America, Brazil, and the Caribbean.

HBO Latin America, comprised of affiliates of Time Warner and Ole Communications Group, said, pricing of HBO Go will be announced jointly with distribution partners in each market.

“We have seen changes in content-consumption habits and are launching this new HBO GO platform as an a la carte service in response to those trends,” HBO Latin America CEO, Emilio Rubio, said, in announcing the plans. “We are creating options and adding more flexibility to our model and for our distributors, giving consumers the choice to enjoy the premium content of HBO/MAX in the manner they want.”

The move is seen as one that will help HBO better compete against Netflix, which already offers Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service across the Caribbean, Latin America and Mexico.