HBO NOW is the stand alone premium streaming service that was launched on April 7th, 2015 by HBO (Home Box Office). It is clear the timing of the release date was designed to coincide with the April 12th season premier of Game of Thrones. HBO offers a great deal of original programming as well as movies for a rate of $15 US. That is a great deal if you are a cord cutter, but still want to view certain channels or shows.
There is one big issue with HBO NOW though. There is a line at the bottom of their website that states “HBO NOW is only accessible in the U.S. and certain U.S. territories where a high-speed broadband connection is available.” If you are in the US, this won’t be a problem. If you are outside the US, either by traveling abroad or living in another country, you would be blocked. That is why you would need a good SmartDNS service. You would be able to watch HBO NOW from anywhere with a Smart DNS.
Best SmartDNS for HBO NOW
| Rank | Provider | Price | Rating | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $4.16 17% Off | 9.9 Read Review |  |
| 2 |  | $3.12 37% Off | 9.8 Read Review | |
| 3 |  | $3.54 28% Off | 9.6 Read Review | |
| 4 |  | $4.16 16% Off | 9.6 Read Review | |
| 5 |  | $3.94 20% Off | 9.5 Read Review | |
HBO has long been known for their original programming. With the 1983 creation of Fraggle Rock created by Jim Henson, they clearly set a standard. Over time, they continued with other great shows like the Sopranos, Six Feet Under, Oz, and Tales from the Crypt. More recently, they have had shows like Boardwalk Empire, Ballers, The Brink, and Game of Thrones just to name a few. Here are some of the most popular shows.
Game of Thrones (2011-present) is a fantasy medieval-style drama that first aired in 2011. Showrunners David Benioff and D. B. Weiss created the show for HBO and it is an adaptation of a book series written by George R.R. Martin called A Song of Ice and Fire. The show portrays the fictional world of Westeros, a land where magic and mythological characters exist. In the five seasons of the show, we have learned to expect the unexpected. The show teaches us not to get too attached to characters because in the Game of Thrones, anything can happen. In 2014, the show surpassed the Sopranos to become the most watched show in HBO history with a record 18.4 million viewers across all platforms. That number may be skewed though, based on account sharing and piracy. The second most popular show was The Sopranos.
The Sopranos (1999-2007) was a crime drama series created by David Chase. The show followed the fictional life and family of Tony Soprano. The show portrays the difficulties he faces while being in La Cosa Nostra (the Mafia) and having a family. With the popularity of movies like The Godfather, Donnie Brasco, and Goodfellas, it is not really surprising to see why the show was so popular. Another great series on HBO was the crime drama, Boardwalk Empire.
Boardwalk Empire (2009-2014) was another crime drama series created by Terrance Winter, one of the writers on The Sopranos, and was directed by Martin Scorcese. The show begins in 1920 and follows the fictional life of Enoch “Nucky” Thompson. Loosely based on the life of Enoch “Nucky” Johnson, the show won critical acclaim for it’s use of visual effects and the countless well known historical characters that appear in the show. Some of those names include Al Capone, Lucky Luciano, J. Edgar Hoover, and Bugsy Segal.
Prior to HBO Now, many would share their login information for HBO GO (the online service that comes with HBO). This practice was so common that a writer from the New York Times mentioned doing so. When asked about account sharing, the CEO of HBO, David Pleper, said he was unconcerned about the sharing and it was not a problem for their current business model. He also stated they were in the business of building addicts and that it was a great marketing vehicle to expose as many people to HBO programming as possible. A brilliant marketing move if you consider that many that shared accounts use HBO NOW.
So what if you plan on traveling outside of the US or you live in another country? One of the reasons for piracy of shows, especially shows like Game of Thrones, is a lack of access. Providing you had a paid subscription, you would be able to gain access to this wonderful premium channel with a Smart DNS service. These are services that allow you to see content that is geo-blocked. Geo-blocking is a technology that streaming companies use to restrict access to programming based on geographical location. Since HBO Now makes it clear that you have to be in the US or territories, a Smart DNS would unblock that restriction.
You are welcome to view our list of the top 10 Smart DNS services for more options. We think you’ll be happy with any of the selections listed above. They were chosen over other leading Smart DNS providers based on the number of channels they support, extensive libraries, reliability and price. These providers will also help you unblock access to other channels as well as popular music streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and Rdio. Sign up for a free trial and give them a try. Follow us on Twitter @SmartDNSFan for the latest deals.
