HBO Says No, for Now, to Fans Who Want a Web-Only Option

HBO doesn’t want your money, Web-only television viewers. The premium cable channel acknowledged a fan campaign called “Take My Money, HBO!” with a Twitter message that said, in effect, thanks but no thanks.

The message reaffirmed HBO’s belief that it’s better off with its existing cable and satellite partners than it would be on its own, despite growing pressure from Internet-based alternatives. “Take My Money, HBO!” is a very simple Web page that was started this week by Jake Caputo, a Web designer who wants to be able to subscribe to HBO via the Internet. The page asks: “How much would you pay monthly for a standalone HBO GO streaming service? Enter a number and Tweet it to let HBO know we want it and we will pay.” The page quickly gained attention from others like Caputo who want to subscribe to HBO without having to subscribe to a cable or satellite provider like Comcast or DirecTV. But HBO has resisted such entreaties because of its lucrative relationships with those providers. Selling subscriptions to HBO on the Internet would almost certainly undermine those relationships.