HBO CEO Richard Plepler (via Apple live stream).
HBO CEO Richard Plepler (via Apple live stream).

HBO CEO Richard Plepler just took the stage at Apple’s event in San Francisco to announce details of the company’s new HBO NOW streaming service, with Apple as the exclusive launch partner.

“All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device,” including a special channel on Apple TV, he said.

It will be introduced in early April for $14.99/month, in time for the April 12 launch of the next season of Game of Thrones.

The launch of the service is the latest blow to traditional cable companies, as more content providers offer their programs independent of a cable subscription. HBO has long been considered a potential tipping point in that movement.

The service was originally developed out of HBO’s Seattle engineering office, but problems in the outpost led to a decision to outsource the development, according to an internal memo published by Fortune in December.

Follow along here as the Apple event continues.

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