This is especially apt, since Kerry and I just started watching “Game of Thrones” this weekend. Over at PandoDaily, MG Siegler writes, "Help! I’m being forced to pirate Game of Thrones against my will!", explaining how he can’t legally watch the latest season of HBO’s new show.
The problem is that I’m not an HBO subscriber. Believe me, given the quality of their programming, I would love to be. Unfortunately, it’s absolutely impossible to subscribe to HBO unless you also subscribe to cable (and/or satellite television). You cannot give HBO your money directly. They will not accept it. They are fully in bed with the cable companies and are not going to get out of that bed anytime soon, because of what they get paid to perform their unnatural acts in that bed. A lot of money.
My only option to watch this upcoming seasons of “Game of Thrones” legally in 2012 is to get HBO, which means getting a cable subscription. I’m not going to do that. Why would I pay upwards of $100 a month for something I have no interest in? I just want HBO.
One could argue that you could always just wait until 2013, but in the day of instantaneous media consumption and ubiquitous on demand content, why must viewers unnecessarily wait?