Ondrej Holzman Yesterday, the long-awaited streaming service HBO Now arrived on Apple TV and iOS devices, which was introduced on the beginning of March. Although it officially works only in the United States, it is not too difficult to get to it even from the Czech Republic. In addition, it has an interesting story behind its arrival in Apple devices.
Magazine profile of HBO CEO Richard Plepler FastCompany reveals, that the key figure behind the launch of the entire service on Apple TV was Jimmy Iovine, who came to Apple as part of the acquisition of Beats.
Until now, HBO has provided its content online through the HBO Go service. However, it was only available as a bonus for subscribers. HBO Now is a free streaming service offering access to HBO's complete movie and series database, currently available for Apple TV and iOS.
For HBO, it is also an entry into a market currently dominated by Netflix, and it is the initial connection with Apple that should give the new service the necessary interest from the media and users. This was exactly one of the basic ideas of the head of HBO, Richard Plepler.
The world of streaming content has been on the move for a long time, and it will not be easy for anyone new to jump on this bandwagon (in a certain way, Apple is also preparing to do so this year). Plepler thus remembered his old acquaintance Jimmy Iovine, who at that time was already working for Apple, and simply asked his former boss: would Apple be interested in working with HBO?
"I think this is exactly it," (literally in the original "I think that's the shit") did not hesitate to answer Iovine. In the world of show business, a seasoned guy with connections to practically every important person in the music or film industry, he knew that Apple had no reason to say no.
Plepler then immediately arranged a meeting with Eddy Cuo, who manages all matters related to Apple TV and digital content at Apple, and explained everything to him. Plepler was looking for a partner to help him in the spring of 2015 (with the arrival of a new season of the popular series Game of Thrones) to start a new service, and even Eddy Cue did not hesitate. He allegedly wanted to sign the agreement the very next day.
The resulting agreement ultimately benefits both parties. As a privileged partner, Apple got initial exclusivity and its users got the first month of HBO Now for free. Above all, it is another desirable channel for Apple to attract customers to its TV service. She would in addition, it was supposed to undergo a much-awaited transformation in the summer.
HBO, in turn, received the already mentioned publicity connected to the fact that Plepler himself promoted the new service at the March keynote.
Jimmy Iovino's role may not seem that significant at first glance, but it's possible that without this person on board, Apple wouldn't have acquired HBO Now in the first place. It was Iovina's valuable connections that were one of the most cited reasons why Tim Cook paid $3 billion to acquire Beats. In addition to HBO Now, Iovine is also expected to have significant influence in the lineup new music services based on Beats Music.
"Although it only officially works in the United States, it is not too difficult to get to it even from the Czech Republic."
I wonder how complex it is :)
We are on the same boat.
Well, we probably won't get an answer from the author of the article. I don't see why someone mentions it in the article if they can't explain it afterwards.
I was wondering that too and it's easier than I thought…