As the global coronavirus continues to surge, the entertainment industry has been put to a halt along with all ‘non-essential’ sectors. From small art galleries shutting its doors to the postponement of multi-million Marvel blockbusters, the epidemic has left culture lovers craving for more content online.
Different facilities and individuals have been responding these calls. HBO has jumped on the bandwagon as it announced to release 500 hours of contents from its back catalogue.
Under the hashtag #StayHomeBoxOffice, users will be granted access to many of the acclaimed contents from HBO. These include critically acclaimed dramas such as “The Sopranos”, “Veep” and “The Wire”.
Family friendly content owned by WarnerMedia company will also be made available. Films such as “Pokemon Detective Pikachu” and “The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part” are included in the list.
Users do not have to register for preexisting HBO streaming services such as HBO Now or HBO Go to enjoy these contents. Detailed information and the list of contents are available on its website.
Many industry experts have praised HBO’s decision. Not only does it generative positive press, but also it helps to advertise HBO Max. It is scheduled to launch in May, yet haven’t received as much press as other streaming channels such as Disney Plus.
However, some of the newer HBO mega-hits are notably absent from the released contents. “Game of Thrones”, which has now elevated to cult status, is not among the shows released for free.
Other newer fan favorites such as “Westworld” and “Chernobyl” were excluded from this release. This is yet another reason why many perceive HBO’s decision to be a shrewd one. After inviting potential users via older content, they are hoping that a good portion will stay to watch the newer contents.
The limited service is currently only available in the United States. However, HBO has stated that they are in talks with regional distributors to make content available in other countries as well.
From the Berlin Philharmonic making their much vaunted online catalogue available free to Andrew Lloyd-Webber live streaming some of his hit musicals on his Youtube channel, industry giants are trying to readjust and satisfy their users.
The demand for online streaming has been proven with numbers. As more people were asked to exercise self-quarantine, Netflix announced that their traffic has increased by nearly 50%.
What do you think? Are there any shows or movies in this list that you want to go check for yourself? Share with us your thoughts in the comments, and be sure to follow us on Facebook for more useful news like this one.
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