# Any way I can legally watch Game of Thrones Season 4 if I can't get HBO? \[NO SPOILERS\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 6, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449 "2014-04-06T01:42:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tim314](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim314/32/3468_2.png) [@tim314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tim314)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/1 "2014-04-06T01:42:09Z")
I live on a university campus (since my wife works for their housing department), and that means I get free cable but I’m stuck with the basic plan. No HBO. I’ve watched the first three seasons of Game of Thrones on DVD, but would like to be able to watch season 4 when it airs. Is there any way I can legally watch it? I’m happy to pay to stream it, but I don’t know where to go. ---
**Author:** ![Tangent](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tangent/32/3098_2.png) [@Tangent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tangent)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/2 "2014-04-06T01:55:14Z")
I don’t think so. I think the only way to legally watch it when it airs is to have an HBO subscription–or friends that do. It is available for streaming on HBOGO, for which you must have an HBO subscription. It doesn’t show up on itunes until a few months after it airs. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/3 "2014-04-06T02:23:07Z")
Legal: wait for the DVD/streams in about a year. Buy individual episodes. Legal but maybe not practical: find somewhere it is being shown. Fly to another country when it’s on something other than HBO :). Quasi-legal (HBO doesn’t seem to mind): befriend someone with HBO and use their login. Other: you know the rest. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/4 "2014-04-06T03:09:08Z")
[Borrowing someone’s HBO login is about as close as you can get.](http://www.nerdist.com/2014/01/hbos-ceo-okay-with-hbo-go-password-sharing-gonna-share/) [However, they do care.](http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/03/12/hbo_go_sharing_passwords_is_not_encouraged_by_network.html) ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/5 "2014-04-06T03:12:02Z")
Being next to a college campus, I’ll bet you could find a quietish bar that’s showing it or would let you put it on. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/6 "2014-04-06T03:25:56Z")
Doesn’t Vudu carry it in delay like other shows? ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/7 "2014-04-06T03:38:53Z")
Do your acquaintances include anybody who does _not_ live on campus? Find somebody who has a legal HBO hookup. Go visit them on Sunday night. Or later in the week–you can catch a rerun On Demand. Bring a 6-pack or a bottle of wine or some brownies… ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/8 "2014-04-06T03:53:50Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > [However, they do care.](http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2014/03/12/hbo_go_sharing_passwords_is_not_encouraged_by_network.html) Going by the CEO quotes. They’re not going to encourage you of course, but they’ll likely not sue you. I didn’t have much luck on meetup but I wonder if there are any semi-public viewing parties? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 3:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/9 "2014-04-06T03:59:33Z")
I thought you could get an HBO-Go-only subscription, unconnected to any cable subscription. FYI, I do not subscribe to HBO, but for some reason HBO Go works fine for me. (Shhhh!) ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/10 "2014-04-06T04:00:12Z")
I was wondering this same question - we just finished watching Season 3, I know Season 4 starts tomorrow, and we don’t have HBO and have no real interest in getting it for one show. I’d buy a season pass for the show on iTunes if it was available, but it doesn’t sound like it will be. Why does tv have to be this way? Why can’t I just order the shows I want and pay for them, without paying a crazy amount every month for all kinds of channels I have zero interest in? ---
**Author:** ![Oakminster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@Oakminster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oakminster)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/11 "2014-04-06T04:06:48Z")
You could rent a hotel room that has HBO. I think after the season gets rolling, you might be able to catch last week’s episode followed by the new one. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/12 "2014-04-06T05:11:36Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I was wondering this same question - we just finished watching Season 3, I know Season 4 starts tomorrow, and we don’t have HBO and have no real interest in getting it for one show. I’d buy a season pass for the show on iTunes if it was available, but it doesn’t sound like it will be. > > Why does tv have to be this way? Why can’t I just order the shows I want and pay for them, without paying a crazy amount every month for all kinds of channels I have zero interest in? Because bundling leads to the greatest profits for cable providers. Most especially, they are able to force cable viewers who don’t like sports channels (think: ESPN) to subsidize the viewing habits of those who do, since sports channels are typically by FAR the most expensive channels in the basic channel lineup. ---
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/13 "2014-04-06T05:30:48Z")
> [@Oakminster](#): > > You could rent a hotel room that has HBO. I think after the season gets rolling, you might be able to catch last week’s episode followed by the new one. I hear some places rent rooms by the hour, too. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/14 "2014-04-06T14:18:33Z")
Wait for the DVDs is what I do. I’m about a year behind, but I do get watch several episodes in a row. I force myself not to watch in one big marathon. Brian ---
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/15 "2014-04-06T14:25:41Z")
> [@Evil\_Captor](#): > > Because bundling leads to the greatest profits for cable providers. Most especially, they are able to force cable viewers who don’t like sports channels (think: ESPN) to subsidize the viewing habits of those who do, since sports channels are typically by FAR the most expensive channels in the basic channel lineup. Right. I also think the reality is that high-production-cost content like Game of Thrones is produced on a network like HBO because it actually draws in subscribers, as opposed to networks that live more on a PPV model. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/16 "2014-04-06T14:35:03Z")
The Oatmeal’s take [on this issue](http://theoatmeal.com/comics/game_of_thrones). ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2014, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/17 "2014-04-06T16:06:18Z")
Vudu does carry it once the DVDs are released, but HBO is one of the strong holdouts against shared streaming of its current content. Fair enough; they are a commodity-provider, not a content channel. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/18 "2014-04-07T02:49:39Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Vudu does carry it once the DVDs are released, but HBO is one of the strong holdouts against shared streaming of its current content. Fair enough; they are a commodity-provider, not a content channel. They are jerks, as are all the cable companies. In my opinion, of course. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/19 "2014-04-07T23:54:27Z")
> [@Cat\_Whisperer](#): > > I was wondering this same question - we just finished watching Season 3, I know Season 4 starts tomorrow, and we don’t have HBO and have no real interest in getting it for one show. I’d buy a season pass for the show on iTunes if it was available, but it doesn’t sound like it will be. > > Why does tv have to be this way? Why can’t I just order the shows I want and pay for them, without paying a crazy amount every month for all kinds of channels I have zero interest in? Well, you could wait until the series is just about over, get HBO for ONE MONTH and watch them all On Demand within that month. Then cancel HBO. I don’t know what one month costs for you (about $8.00 here), but it would certainly be far cheaper than buying the entire season and waiting until that season comes out on DVD. ---
**Author:** ![RetroVertigo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@RetroVertigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RetroVertigo)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449/20 "2014-04-08T01:08:24Z")
Unfortunately I believe that they avoid putting (or any popular show) them all on On-demand at the same time for this reason. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/any-way-i-can-legally-watch-game-of-thrones-season-4-if-i-cant-get-hbo-no-spoilers/685449.md?page=2)