HBO U.K. Hooks Up With Digital Operator blinkbox

LONDON – HBO's Games of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire will be among the offerings for U.K. eyeballs through a deal between HBO Home Entertainment U.K. and digital movie service blinkbox.

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The two have pacted to allow British consumers for the first time to buy the second seasons of Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning epic Game of Thrones and Boardwalk Empire via the digital movie service ahead of their DVD and Blu ray releases.

Fans of HBO’s programming will be able to own individual episodes or entire seasons, all without subscription via blinkbox.

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Starting Monday, blinkbox plans to dish up a range of premium HBO series including all four seasons of supernatural drama True Blood as well as mini-series Band of Brothers and The Pacific.

Colin Smith, HBO's international digital distribution director, said he's "delighted to partner with blinkbox" and also "to offer a wide variety of award-winning premium content to fans in the U.K. with a number of titles available on an EST [electronic sell through] basis for the very first time."

Michael Comish, blinkbox CEO, described the partnership with HBO as "huge news for blinkbox" and its customers.

“This just adds to all that makes blinkbox great: the latest movie releases available without subscription, and now acclaimed TV series before they are available anywhere else in the U.K.," Comish said.

Other titles to be made available from the catalog include Sex and the City, The Wire, The Sopranos and "undiscovered gems" for U.K. viewers such as Big Love and Bored to Death.

As with all blinkbox titles, the HBO shows can be viewed on PC, Mac, SMART devices (TV, Blu-Ray players, Set Top boxes), iPad, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.