HBO said its stand-alone online channel will debut next month with Apple as an exclusive partner for the introduction, bypassing traditional cable packages and challenging Netflix.

The web-streaming service – known as HBO Now – will cost $14.99 a month and will be available from April 12th, HBO chief executive Richard Plepler said Monday at an Apple event in San Francisco.

HBO Now will let consumers watch the channel online without paying for a cable or satellite TV subscription. By offering its channel outside the cable bundle, HBO could prompt more consumers to cut the cord and threaten the TV ecosystem.

The move pits HBO directly against online streaming service Netflix, which has more than 57 million subscribers worldwide.

“This is a transformative moment for HBO,” Mr Plepler said at the event. “All you need to get HBO Now is a broadband connection and an Apple device.”

The service will be on Apple TV, iPhones and iPads and will be available in time for the fifth season of Game of Thrones, Mr Plepler said. HBO – home to such shows as Girls and True Detective – has been in talks with at least five companies including Apple and Google to distribute the Web-only service, according to people familiar with the matter.

HBO has said it wants to work with its longtime cable distributors as well as new ones.

Mr Plepler has said the new service is aimed at reaching an estimated 10 million consumers who get Internet service but don’t subscribe to cable or satellite TV.

- Bloomberg