Yes, You Can Get HBO Without Cable (Sort Of)

Are you a would-be cord-cutter who wishes you could buy access to HBO Go without having cable? Well you sort-of can—with a little help from your cable company. Yes, most major cable providers are offering semi-secret packages that include Internet, a token bare-minimum cable package, and HBO, reports Geoffrey Fowler at the Wall Street Journal.

"It's like ordering off the secret menu at In-and-Out Burger—you have to know what to ask for," Fowler explains. Here's what to ask for:

• Comcast: Internet Plus
• Time Warner Cable: Starter TV+HBO and an Internet plan
• Verizon: 50/25 Mbps + Local News and Sports + HBO
• AT&T: HBO Internet Plus

Of course, if you already have a more robust cable package, be careful. Because, as we learned this week, calling to downgrade your service can seriously suck.