> If HBO Go were available as a standalone subscription, the number of copies of Game of Thrones that are pirated would drop substantially, and HBO's overall re

> If HBO Go were available as a standalone subscription, the number of copies of Game of Thrones that are pirated would drop substantially, and HBO's overall revenue would go up, not down. If they offered a Game of Thrones only option at a discount, their revenue would go way up. The problem with that idea is the cable companies. Back in 2012, the contract between HBO and the cable providers was up for renegotiation. HBO wanted to turn HBO Go into a standalone service; the cable companies basically said that if HBO were to do that, they would drop HBO. While I am sure that HBO would make tons of money from a web-only service, I am guessing that their cable numbers are better, for now. Whether those numbers stay the same in 2016, when the contract is up for renegotiation again, remains to be seen.