HBO Comes to Collect on Founder of Take My Money, HBO! Site

Five years ago, HBO launched HBO Go, its online-based VOD service that featured just about the entire HBO back catalogue, new episodes of current series, and almost anything else you could want—as long as you were already an HBO subscriber. (Or, ahem, had a friend or relative who’d let you use their password.)

It didn’t take long for non-pay-TV-subscribers to raise a hue and cry about being willing to fork over at least the price of an HBO subscription for being able to use the service without having to pay for cable, too. Three years ago, back when everyone still had to explain what “OTT” meant (“over the top”), a man named Jake Caputo started up TakeMyMoneyHBO.com in an effort to show HBO exactly how much money they could make by offering HBO Go to everyone, regardless of cable-having status.

On April 7, HBO launched standalone OTT service HBO Now (available through Apple and cable/internet provider Optimum). The network sent its best collection guys to procure the promised funds from Mr. Caputo—The Sopranos‘ Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri (Tony Sirico) and Salvatore “Big Pussy” Bonpensiero (Vincent Pastore)—filmed the encounter for the video below:

(“Jake Caputo” could easily be a Sopranos name, so this is doubly appropriate.)

HBO Now is offering a free trial for the month of April, so now’s your chance to watch at least the first three episodes of the new season of Game of Thrones and experience all the Paulie Walnuts and Big Pussy you want, cord-cutters.