Amazon Prime Losing HBO Content

[Zookster]

Better hurry up and watch any HBO series you are in the middle of on Prime by May 21.
http://cordcuttersnews.com/amazon-prime-video-lose-ton-great-shows/

 

[klang]

From the linked article:

When it was first made HBO did not have its HBO NOW service or Amazon HBO Channel. Now it seems that HBO wants to make its back catalog exclusive to its HBO NOW service and Amazon HBO Channel.

Makes sense.

 

[camo]

I didn't even realize Prime had free included HBO shows. HBO NOW and Amazon HBO Channel will still be options for $$.

 

[osu1991]

fortunately I'm not a fan of hbo shows, so not a big loss for me, but it will cut into the amazon catalog for prime users

 

[Yespage]

Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to offer access to Amazon to show the first seasons of the older programs (The Wire, Sopranos, etc...) to possibly hook new HBO Now customers.

 

[Zookster]

I had a few HBO shows in my Prime watch list, not having been an HBO sub much over the past 20 years. These shows were part of the reason I committed to my first full year of Prime last summer. This really diminishes Prime's value for me, since the Amazon originals haven't appealed to me in the same way Netflix's have.

 

[Tampa8]

I had a few HBO shows in my Prime watch list, not having been an HBO sub much over the past 20 years. These shows were part of the reason I committed to my first full year of Prime last summer. This really diminishes Prime's value for me, since the Amazon originals haven't appealed to me in the same way Netflix's have.

Obviously the easy answer is you have little time left on your subscription anyway, just don't get Prime again. At least you had the HBO offerings for most of it. I will add Netflix has similar complaints from time to time - among others they lost many movie titles including all Epix movies, Travel, Food. and HGTV channels. They are down approx 32% total titles from 2014. Contracts come up and they are not always renewed or even offered to be renewed.

 

[Zookster]

Obviously the easy answer is you have little time left on your subscription anyway, just don't get Prime again. At least you had the HBO offerings for most of it. I will add Netflix has similar complaints from time to time - among others they lost many movie titles including all Epix movies, Travel, Food. and HGTV channels. They are down approx 32% total titles from 2014. Contracts come up and they are not always renewed or even offered to be renewed.

Part of my problem is I didn't watch a lot of these shows when I had the chance, not realizing the contract would be up and possibly not get renewed. HBO content was one of the few things I could get on Prime and not NF. The Netflix losses haven't affected me too much, and they've since added the big CW contract and Disney/Marvel. I wish there was a way to subscribe to all Prime benefits except the video portion, instead of the other way around. lol

 

[Zookster]

FAKE NEWS ALERT: HBO shows are not, in fact, leaving Amazon Prime.
http://cordcuttersnews.com/update-amazon-good-news-hbo-fans/

 

[Yespage]

Fake news is supposed to be a lie intended to be understood as true. The labels were just erroneous. Either way works for me. HBO probably makes out better this way because they get a cut for programming they produced a decade (or two) ago.

 

[navychop]

What's the guideline? Shows older than three years?

 

[Yespage]

What's the guideline? Shows older than three years?

I think Boardwalk Empire and True Blood are available, but maybe only a few seasons. So that'd be the most recent offered on Amazon Prime.

 

[camo]

I find the Amazon app on fire TV hard to locate shows. Netflix app is much more user friendly. Maybe its just me they both have good programming just wish Amazon would add a real search engine for Prime only on FireTv. It works but first thing they try to do is rent something instead of offer prime (free programming).

 

[Zookster]

I think Boardwalk Empire and True Blood are available, but maybe only a few seasons. So that'd be the most recent offered on Amazon Prime.

Yep, True Blood seasons 1-6 are free for Prime members, but season 7 (2014) still is not. Similar for Boardwalk Empire (most recent season still isn't free). Other shows are more limited, like Veep, you can only get the first two seasons. Although Newsroom, a canceled series, I watched all three seasons last year.

It's not the best situation, but it's high-quality content I can't get anywhere else unless I want to pay $15/mo.