HBO: Internet killed the cable star

It's hard to believe that – not long ago – cable television was a cutting-edge thing. Hey, didn't kids once say: "I want my MTV"?

Now, of course, the new-new thing is online video, especially with the extreme popularity of Google (NASDAQ: GOOG)'s YouTube.

Interestingly enough, we are seeing some movement from the cable players trying to figure out what to do about the broadband revolution (seems kind of late, huh?).

HBO is now making some moves. But, there are some limitations. If you are a subscriber (in certain markets), you can access shows online, though it requires a software download (which means there are pretty tight digital-rights management controls).

Despite all this, it does seem like a good start.

I had a chance to interview Chase Norlin, the CEO of Pixsy, an online video search company. According to him:

"This is a logical move for HBO to utilize their programming as a customer acquisition and retention tool in conjunction with the large MSOs (multiple service operators). Web-based multimedia content becomes another negotiable point between the content owners/producers and the cable operators/distributors. An additional benefit for HBO is the online ad monetization of their content. Expect to see more content owners/producers follow this trend."

Tom Taulli is the author of various books, including The Complete M&A Handbook and The Edgar Online Guide to Decoding Financial Statements. He also operates DealProfiles.com.