HBO might soon let you binge entire seasons before they air, and that’s huge news

The way in which we consume media is changing. As online streaming companies and other similar digital platforms become more and more ubiquitous, not only is the place we watch shows changing, but how we do so is changing as well. Netflix has paved the way for digital streaming, and many cable channels and networks have followed suit with their own services. Now, Netflix thinks that HBO will make full seasons available in one go, ahead of releasing them week by week.

Business Insider reported that, after the BBC announced plans to stream shows in one go rather than week by week, Netflix sees other networks following suit — aka, following in Netflix footprints. The Netflix model seems to be working, and it makes sense that others would really capitalize on the binge-it-now model.

"The BBC has become the first major linear network to announce plans to go binge-first with new seasons, favoring internet over linear viewers," Netflix wrote in letter to their shareholders reporting Q4 earnings. "We presume HBO is not far behind the BBC."

Way to call HBO out, Netflix. Obviously, HBO has not publicly commented on this hypothetical situation, but if they’re listening, we are VERY INTERESTED.

On one hand, using the BBC as a yardstick for the future of television seems a little odd. Unlike American networks, the BBC is government subsidized, and operates off of a license fee chartered by a government trust — it’s not that the BBC can’t be and isn’t revolutionary, or that choices the BBC makes might not herald similar choices in other networks…it’s just that the BBC’s cashflow comes from a completely different place than American networks. What makes sense for the Beeb might not work for other networks…

That said, it might still make sense, what do we know? Not to mention, we’re TOTALLY down to get entire seasons of our fav HBO shows dropped onto HBOGo at once. Somebody’s been reading our Christmas list…