Charter Communications subscribers might soon be able to stream HBO programming to their Apple TV, as an updated HBO GO activation page now lists the U.S. cable company as a participating provider
While Charter is now showing up as a cooperating HBO affiliate for Apple TV, it seems the provider is not yet accepting HBO GO app activations, as users are reporting problems getting past the login screen. It should be noted that Charter's own support webpage still lists HBO GO for Apple TV as unavailable to subscribers.
If Charter is planning to allow access, the move would be an abrupt about face for a company that blocked its customers from activating the HBO GO Apple TV channel when it launched in 2013. Charter took a similar stance with HBO GO on Amazon's Fire TV.
The idea of HBO GO is to allow subscribers untethered access to premium programming on a variety of connected platforms, including iOS, Apple TV, Android and others. Unlike the app version, HBO GO for Apple TV requires users to activate their device for streaming via HBO's Web interface, which now displays Charter as a participating provider.
AppleInsider has reached out to Charter for clarification and will update this story when a response is received.
Apple TV channels like HBO GO, and the standalone HBO NOW subscription service, mark a shift in consumer preference away from cable companies and toward more flexible Internet streaming options. So-called "over-the-top" streaming services are just now gaining traction, and Apple is rumored to throw its hat into the ring with a "skinny bundle" subscription-based package for Apple TV. Negotiations with content owners have so far stymied the service's debut, with some reports now pegging a 2016 launch date.
Apple is widely expected to unveil new Apple TV hardware alongside a dedicated App Store at the upcoming iPhone event next week, however, potentially opening the door to a whole new class of television entertainment.