Business

HBO ON BROADBAND IN RESTRICTED ROLLOUT

HBO, one of television’s most prominent broadband holdouts, is finally making its content available on the Internet – but with a catch.

HBO on Broadband, as the service is called, will roll out in Green Bay and Milwaukee, Wis., tomorrow – and in other markets shortly thereafter – with the caveat that consumers able to access the service are either HBO subscribers or customers of the high-speed Internet service offered by their local cable operator.

That means, for example, that HBO on Broadband will be available in Green Bay or Milwaukee only to customers of Time Warner Cable or subscribers to the roadrunner.com Internet service.

Subscribers to HBO or the high-speed Internet service won’t be charged extra for HBO on Broadband. However, all others will have to pay a fee.

The network is in talks with other cable operators about expanding the service in other markets.

By tying its broadband service so closely to the cable operators, HBO is trying to accomplish two things: drive subscribers to its main cable network and help lure consumers to cable operators’ digital services.

“We are different from the broadcast networks because we aren’t in the advertising business,” said HBO co-President Eric Kessler.

“We are in the subscription business, so if we can create services that increase the usage of our product, we can extend the life of a subscriber, which is great for us and for the cable operator.”

HBO on Broadband will offer 600 titles and 400 hours of downloadable content, including movies, documentaries and original series like “The Sopranos” and “Six Feet Under.”

Every month the service will offer the entire set of an HBO series. The service will also feature sample episodes from every HBO original series as well as a “bridge series” ahead of a new season of a given show.

HBO also is working on a version of the service for Macintosh users and for Windows-supported mobile devices.

peter.lauria@nypost.com