HBO Go app hits 1 million downloads in first week

HBO's mobile app has apparently caught on quickly.

Speaking yesterday at the Streaming Media East conference, HBO co-President Eric Kessler said HBO Go's mobile application, which is available on iOS- and Android-based devices, was downloaded over 1 million times during the first week of availability. The free app launched April 29.

HBO Go itself launched on the Web last year. The service offers a wide range of HBO content, including movies, original series, and documentaries. Currently, it has about 1,400 titles available. However, the service is not available to everyone.

AT&T, Dish, Verizon, and DirecTV customers, among others, can access the free HBO Go. Time Warner Cable customers are, most notably, not allowed to sign up. And HBO is a Time Warner-owned company.

The success of the HBO Go app has prompted the network to think outside the box a bit. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kessler said that HBO will release the next episode of "Game of Thrones" a day after the May 22 episode airs. The idea is to give HBO Go users an added benefit of using the service, and offer them the chance to see what happens next just a day later, rather than be forced to wait until the next week.

HBO's commitment to HBO Go may have an impact on its DVD business, Kessler reportedly told those in attendance at the Streaming Media East Conference. But HBO apparently isn't all that concerned about it.

"Even if it impacts a small part of our DVD business, what drives the economics of our business is the subscription service," he said, according to the Hollywood Reporter.

HBO Go is available in the Apple App Store and Android Market.