HBO in Talks with Apple to Launch Video Streaming Service: Report

HBO is in talks with Apple Inc to be its launch partner for the highly anticipated HBO Now video streaming service, according to a report in Wednesday's International Business Times.

The service is expected to launch next month, timed to the season premier of HBO's blockbuster series "Game of Thrones," according to the report, which cited sources familiar with the matter.

The service's retail price is expected to be $15 a month, the report said.

"We know there’s great anticipation around our standalone streaming service," an HBO spokesman said in a statement. "And when we have details to share, we will do so."

A representative from Apple did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

Time Warner, which owns the HBO pay-TV service, announced the video streaming service in October in order to hold onto or attract subscribers who are ditching pricey cable television subscriptions.

HBO Now will give consumers direct access to HBO with only a broadband connection.

(Reporting by Jennifer Saba in New York; Editing by Jonathan Oatis and Leslie Adler)