How HBO Now Came to Be
More outlets mean more content, and with the wealth of channels currently available to consumers—both on-air and digital—as well as new streaming platforms, we are truly in the “glory days for producers, writers, [and] content creators,” according to longtime HBO executive Shelley Brindle. GLG sits down with Brindle, former EVP of Domestic Network Distribution and Marketing at HBO, to discuss our ever-changing viewing habits, HBO Now, and key trends in content delivery.
Shelley Brindle is the founder of Brindle and Associates, LLC, a consulting firm specializing in monetizing and distributing linear and digital content, negotiating large-scale distribution deals with multichannel video programming distributors (MVPDs), and navigating the over-the-top (OTT) marketplace. Over the course of her 27-year career at HBO, Brindle held a number of leadership positions before serving as EVP; including GM, VP of Consumer Marketing and Product Development, Director of Affiliate Marketing, and Director of Product Development. As EVP of Domestic Network Distribution and Marketing, Brindle was responsible for the revenue, marketing, and distribution strategy of HBO and Cinemax’s $4.4B U.S. subscription business, which represented 80% of the company’s total revenue. In 2015, she led the transformation of HBO’s distribution strategy with the launch of HBO Now, HBO’s OTT streaming service. During her tenure at HBO, Brindle oversaw many of company’s key initiatives, including transforming its distribution and digital strategies; evolving HBO’s go-to-market strategy; strengthening strategic partnerships with major media distributors; bringing new products to market; negotiating industry-defining, multi-billion dollar deals; and rebuilding organizational structure and culture to deliver breakthrough results.
Brindle currently serves on the board of Philo TV, a next-generation IPTV platform that allows viewers to watch content on their favorite devices (also named one of the “World’s 50 Most Innovative Companies” by Fast Company in 2014). Brindle is a founding member of Plum Alley Investments and has served on the President’s Working Group on Culture at the University of Virginia—also her alma mater.