People expect streaming media to be free. But for HBO—a brand synonymous with subscription programming—entering the digital arena was a bit more complicated. To meet this challenge we unveiled HBO GO. The service lets viewers watch the brand’s premium content wherever they are, whenever they want.

Disruptive services like Netflix and Hulu were ushering in a new era of cord cutting. Given HBO's relationship to cable networks the company had to find a way to defend against the phenomenon. Reducing churn after popular series finales was also vital.

We focused our research on the most passionate fans of HBO. These fans were absolutely dedicated to the story worlds of shows like Entourage, The Sopranos, Sex in the City, and more. They were also the biggest drivers of the online conversation about these shows.

We set out on a two-pronged strategy. HBO Go would be the lean-back on demand viewing experience. HBO.com would be a hub of rich behind-the-scenes content, interviews with the creators, and more.

HBO GO allows consumers to find HBO original series, films, mini-series, documentaries and sports content from the home screen and via various search options, including show title and genre searches. That’s 1,600 hours of programming (and growing). The site also offers fans extras, such as interviews and behind-the-scenes segments, plus the ability to create a Watchlist of bookmarked content and a Series Pass for favorite shows.

6.5mm

HBO Go viewers within the first year

85%

of users said they're watching significantly more HBO

D2C

created a sustainable D2C business model

30%

growth of social media impressions

Role

Executive Creative Director

Skills

Creative Direction, UX Design, Interaction Design, Information Architecture, Strategy, UX Research, Branding & Identity, Staff Leadership & Development

Team

Trevor Eld, Scott Weiland, Paola Colombo, John Tubert, Isabel Kantor, Ben Zhou, Ritwik Dey, Mutlu Isik, Kajal Gala, Shu Zheng Li, Clay Johnson, James Hulsizer, Ted Angelilli, Beth Larocco, Chris Volk, Kara Benton

Agency / Launch

R/GA / 2010