HBO to cut its cable cord in 2015

THE CONSUMER movement to cut the cord from cable is getting so trendy, next year HBO is doing it. The streaming service HBO Go will be sold as a stand-alone product.

Fans of "Game of Thrones," "True Detective" and "Veep" will therefore no longer have to pay big bucks for cable or satellite contracts - and HBO's move may also pave the way for more sensible a la carte cable packages.

"HBO and ESPN are the two main reasons why people have cable and satellite TV," says Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey. "The whole industry has eyed them for years nervous that one day they would decide to do exactly what (HBO) said they'll do in 2015. We don't know until we see pricing and packaging how rapidly this will force a change in the way pay TV operators work, but it will definitely force a change."

HBO has about 30.4 million subscribers according to SNL Kagan. HBO CEO Richard Plepler said yesterday that the network's move is aimed at targeting the 80 million homes in the U.S. that do not have HBO but may want access to its content - and especially those broadband-only homes.

"It is time to remove all barriers to those who want HBO," he added.

Tired of getting its muscled behind kicked at the multiplex, DC/Warner Bros. yesterday announced an ambitious slate of films to take it into the next decade.

In addition to "Batman vs. Superman" in 2016, get ready for the supervillain-centric "Suicide Squad" from director David Ayer ("Fury"), a Wonder Woman solo film and a Justice League gathering in 2017, not to mention "LEGO Batman: The Movie." 2018 will launch Aquaman, starring Jason Momoa ("Game of Thrones") and The Flash, starring Ezra Miller ("The Perks of Being a Wallflower"). The following year launches "Shazam" and a Justice League sequel. Then in 2020, DC/Warners will debut a Cyborg solo film and a new Green Lantern.

Warners and subsidiary New Line also plan to release standalone Batman and Superman films and a trio of movies based on J.K. Rowling's "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them."

In Touch mag has been listening to an unnamed source close to the Stephen Collins situation and says that his wife, Faye Grant, turned a blind eye to claims of pedophilia involving her husband due to advice from their reverend.

Fourteen years ago, after Faye had received an anonymous letter from an alleged victim, Stephen begged his wife and religious leader not to believe the allegations.

"That meeting began with Faye declaring, 'I'm done with the marriage,' " the source told In Touch. But Rev. David Miller told Faye, "I believe him. He's a good man."

* TMZ.com says Collins is now under investigation by the L.A. County Sheriff for at least one incident in which he allegedly exposed himself to the 14-year-old girl he confessed to exposing himself to on the audiotape released last week.

If true, the incident involves a relative of a neighbor when Collins lived on Havenhurst Drive in West Hollywood in 1984.

Collins says on the audio that he "made amends" with the victim years later.

* And if all this indecent exposure isn't creepy enough, the Los Angeles Times reports that Collins is currently starring in "Penance," a short making the rounds at film festivals, in which he plays a child- molesting priest.

Life & Style reports that Teresa Giudice plans to cash in on her time in the hoosegow.

Is this a surprise to anyone?

"She will make money off a tell-all book, because people will want to know her prison secrets," Wendy Feldman, the reality star's crisis PR manager, told Life & Style.

Maybe Wendy should write the book. Before becoming a PR guru, she served time in federal prison.

Branding expert David Johnson told Life & Style that Teresa could earn $3 million from her time in jail "if she plays it right."

You know, we get the politicians we deserve and the celebrities we deserve.

* Meanwhile, Tattle's old buddy David Porter of the Associated Press reports that Giuseppe "Joe" Giudice accepted a plea deal yesterday in New Jersey on charges of unlawful use of an ID and impersonation.

Joe allegedly used his brother's identity to obtain a driver's license while his own license was suspended.

Joe will get 18 months, to be served concurrently with his 41-month federal sentence for bankruptcy fraud and not filing tax returns. Wethinks he may have a bit of an honesty problem.

* New "ABC World News Tonight" anchor David Muir took a break from breaking news yesterday morning to appear before local movers and shakers at the 214th annual meeting of the Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce. In an onstage interview with 6ABC's Rick Williams in which they talked about the network's coverage of Ebola and ISIS and his own "Made in America" series, Muir jokingly alluded to TMZ's having dubbed him "the Brad Pitt of news anchors," promising to apologize to Pitt personally before he interviews him about his new World War II film, "Fury."

* And our top story, which is at the bottom because it moved late, Neil Patrick Harris ("Gone Girl"), will host the 2015 Academy Awards.

"Because it's bigger, yes it's bigger."

- Ellen Gray and

Daily News wire services

contributed to this report.

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