HBO's stand-alone service could open floodgates

[Commentary] Could Time Warner and HBO have just broken the logjam preventing the move to a full-fledged Net-delivered TV future? That remains to be seen.

A stand-alone HBO subscription service would require no pay TV subscription and could lead to other content providers following suit. Or it could lead to an uptick in the intrigue that comes with negotiations between content providers and pay TV companies. Studios and networks that do not follow HBO's lead demand higher prices from pay TV providers for their content. Pay TV services in turn could attempt to punish HBO saying that their relationship is diluted by the stand-alone move. Consumers who abhor pay TV will have to wait to see whether it's pay TV providers or content companies that blink in the days to come. It will be hard for other companies, especial networks, to follow suit, says Erik Brannon, analyst with market research firm IHS. "The business in pay TV is too lucrative to rock the boat. But this is a recognition that we are now in a new developing world," he said.