Winter isn't just coming; it's already here. Season 7 of Game of Thrones is underway, and you know what that means: character drama, fantastical action and some gratuitous nudity. It also means you have to pay HBO in order to watch it.
HBO's service is pricey; unfortunately, there's no (legal) way around that. On the bright side, it's extremely easy to subscribe to the channel and watch it wherever you want, regardless of whether you have a cable or satellite subscription. In the Tom's Guide forums, some of our readers asked about ways to watch the HBO hit.
For example, KerryT posted (edited for brevity and clarity):
"My oldest turned 14, and he's curious about watching Game of Thrones. I've decided to let him watch the show (with adult supervision) after he finished the first book. … I'd rather have him watch it with supervision than try to pirate it off the internet.
"[What's] a good place to stream the series from? We don't have cable and we don't have an HBO subscription at the moment, but we do have pretty great internet."
For Kerry, the answer is simple: HBO Now provides a totally stand-alone way for her son to watch Game of Thrones, as well as the rest of HBO's extensive catalog, on almost any device. The service costs $15 per month, which gives you access to not only the current season of Game of Thrones but all of the previous seasons as well. You can also cancel the service after the season ends.
MORE: Where to Watch Game of Thrones Season 7 Online
(You may also see an app called HBO Go. Don't bother with this one. It serves the same function as HBO Now, but it works only if you have an existing subscription to HBO via cable or satellite. We break down the differences between HBO Now and HBO Go here.)
If you subscribe to Amazon Prime, Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, HBO is also available as an add-on to any of those services at the same $15-per-month price. There's no real advantage to having these add-on channels over HBO Now, save for keeping all of your streaming content in one place.
Just one warning: If Kerry's son winds up loving the books, there's a good chance that the TV adaptation won't stack up, especially in Season 2 and beyond. On the other hand, at least it looks like the show will get a definitive ending sometime this decade.
