Time Warner (TWX +0.00%) may be getting closer to offering stand-alone HBO on-demand service, Fool contributor Tim Beyers says in the following video.
How can we know? HBO is conducting more experiments with digital distribution, including placing the entire first episode of Silicon Valley, its new comedy series, on YouTube. More than 300,000 have tuned in as of this writing.
The experiment comes on the heels of another. Barely a month after an Internet simulcast of True Detective brought HBO Go to its knees, the Game of Thrones Season 4 premiere did the same. In each case, password sharing appears to have crashed HBO's servers. Hardly surprising when you consider that Game of Thrones is already the most pirated show in television.
Looks like there's trouble in the realm. Apologies for the inconvenience. We'll be providing updates, so please stay tuned. #GameofThrones
— HBO GO (@HBOGO) April 6, 2014
For his part, HBO chief Richard Plepler has made it clear that he wants to find a way to offer individual HBO Go subscriptions, but only when the math makes sense. Little experiments -- like the one with Silicon Valley -- may help clarify the profit potential of stand-alone HBO on-demand service, Tim says.
Now it's your turn to weigh in. How much would you pay for a stand-alone HBO on-demand subscription? Please watch the video to get the full story, and then leave a comment to let us know your take, including whether you would buy, sell, or short Time Warner stock at current prices.
