Streaming service users are getting additional perks for their subscriptions as HBO announces that their latest Eight-part limited series The Night Of will see its first part premiere on HBO GO, HBO NOW, HBO On Demand, and affiliate portals this Friday, June 24, more than two weeks before the series is scheduled to premiere on-air.
The new series was created by writer Steven Zaillian (Schindler’s List, Gangs of New York), and writer Richard Price (The Wire) and stars John Turturro (O Brother, Where Art Thou?) and Poorna Jagannathan. The series takes place in New York and follows the story of a man who wakes up to find a female stranger stabbed to death after a night of partying, and is subsequently charged with her murder.
This announcement by HBO comes right before the season finale of their most popular show Game of Thrones premiers and also during a time when a majority of other HBO dramas, such as True Detective and Westworld are currently off season or awaiting a fall release. This move can be seen as an attempt to retain the amount of interest in HBO NOW during a dry spell of new content and ensure the continued subscriptions of HBO GO users with fresh material.
In the current era where the domination of streaming sites such as Netflix and Hulu is apparent to audiences and networks, HBO is currently keeping up with the competition by providing their premium content to those willing to add on another monthly bill. With a limited amount of fresh content available to audiences, and with many people and households opting for other streaming sites as a source for entertainment rather than cable or satellite TV, HBO will need to continue to provide any perks they can in order to keep their online audience interested. The interest for entertainment has not dwindled in the slightest and has seen a rise in fandom, it is simply the method of consuming this entertainment that has been evolving and the competition to dominate the market has yet to truly begin.
For those who do not have a subscription to HBO GO or those without access to HBO NOW and HBO On Demand, The Night Of Will premier on-air July 10 at 9 pm on the network. For those who want a glimpse of the show before deciding whether to watch or to subscribe, check out the trailer below.