HBO’s taking on Netflix like never before. But now they’ll share the same headaches, too.

HBO is finally offering its streaming service, HBO Go, as a standalone subscription next year. This is a huge deal for cord-cutters, people who forego pricey cable subscriptions in favor of online streaming services like Netflix and Hulu.

One of the more immediate effects has to do with HBO's relationship with Netflix. While HBO's latest move highlights more than ever how the two companies are head-to-head competitors, it's just as likely they'll find themselves sharing common interests over the long run. That's particularly true on questions of policy, regulation and dealings with broadband providers. Standalone HBO Go isn't some side project; it's HBO's play for a vast segment of the population. Simply by being in the same business puts HBO Go and Netflix in similar positions. Of course, HBO enjoys a much cozier relationship with broadband providers than Netflix does, because some of those broadband providers are cable companies that have existing deals with HBO for its content. In that respect, HBO Go has a major advantage. Thanks to what we'll call Big HBO, the standalone HBO Go will have some extra pull that Netflix doesn't have.