Update: July 14, 2017: Amazon Prime members rejoice! For $14.99 each month you can add the HBO subscription on Amazon Channels and stream new Game of Thrones episodes as soon as they air. This comes with a 30-day free trial, after which you can cancel or keep the subscription.
Hulu has also added HBO just in time for the premiere of season seven of Game of Thrones. You can sign up for one free month, then the service will cost you $14.99 per month in addition to what you are currently paying for your Hulu plan. HBO Now, HBO's standalone streaming service, also costs $14.99 per month, meaning you aren't, sadly, getting any cost break through Hulu.
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If you're a fan of Hulu and already subscribe to the service, you might as well add Game of Thrones there. You can stream live episodes on supported devices including your iPhone, Android phone, Apple TV, Xbox, and Chromecast. If, however, you only care about watching HBO, the standalone HBO Now may be better for you. Read on to see more streaming options.
This article was originally published on July 5, 2017.
As HBO cheekily pointed out last month, it may be the start of summer but winter is coming. The company's clever teaser is referring, of course, to its award-winning show Game of Thrones, which will return for its penultimate seventh season on Sunday, July 16, at 9 pm.
If the season's trailer is any indication of what's to come, fans are in for the standard dose of bloodshed (read: a lot), epic battle scenes (hopefully at least one will challenge last season's Battle of the Bastards for G.O.A.T. status), and exciting new alliances. Leave it to Sansa Stark to deliver the prophetic line of the century: "When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives."
Who else will have to die, and who will claim the ultimate victory? You'll have to watch to find out. Although HBO offers fewer streaming options than most other channels, there are still a few ways to catch all the action with or without a cable subscription.
If an HBO subscription is included in your cable or satellite TV package, you also have access to its streaming service, HBO Go. This essentially just gives you more access to where you can watch Game of Thrones — from your computer's web browser to your iPhone. Check out the full list of supported devices here.
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Those without a cable or satellite TV subscription have two options. First, you can subscribe to HBO Now, the company's standalone streaming service, for $14.99 per month. This gives you access to all HBO shows and movies. After subscribing, you can watch through the HBO Now app or other authorized providers including Roku and Amazon.
If you want access to additional TV channels, subscribing to Sling Orange for $20 per month with the $15 HBO add-on could be a worthwhile investment. You'll be paying $20 more each month than you would for a standalone HBO Now subscription, but will be able to watch far more channels. If, however, you don't see yourself tuning in to the addictive home makeover shows of HGTV or the dramafest that is The Bachelor, save your money and opt for HBO Now.
Whichever option you choose, try not to catch a chill when the GoT winds start slicing through the balmy July heat. Though with the plot twists this series has delivered so far, at least a shudder is expected.