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You won't have to remember passwords for most TV streaming apps anymore

Adoption of a new industry standard will usher in the era of single sign-on for customers who pay for stations like CNN, ESPN, NBC, HGTV, Food Network and more. Absent from the list is HBO Go (womp, womp).

Jessica Dolcourt Senior Director, Commerce & Content Operations
Jessica Dolcourt is a passionate content strategist and veteran leader of CNET coverage. As Senior Director of Commerce & Content Operations, she leads a number of teams, including Commerce, How-To and Performance Optimization. Her CNET career began in 2006, testing desktop and mobile software for Download.com and CNET, including the first iPhone and Android apps and operating systems. She continued to review, report on and write a wide range of commentary and analysis on all things phones, with an emphasis on iPhone and Samsung. Jessica was one of the first people in the world to test, review and report on foldable phones and 5G wireless speeds. Jessica began leading CNET's How-To section for tips and FAQs in 2019, guiding coverage of topics ranging from personal finance to phones and home. She holds an MA with Distinction from the University of Warwick (UK).
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      If your brain, like mine, is already stuffed to the gills with passwords, then the prospect of using one single sign-on to get into your paid streaming TV apps will come as sweet relief.

      People who pay for TV from cable companies Comcast, Cox and MediaCom will soon see a new standard, called TV Everywhere (TVE), which will use their home Wi-Fi network to automatically authenticate streaming apps. That means you can stream your favorite shows from the throne, for example, as easily as you would from your living room TV.

      If you're out an about, a single-sign-on system also means that you'll need to remember just one password to get you into your participating apps. One big omission: HBO Go. Its parent company, Time Warner, isn't joining the TVE fun.

      But here's who is:

        • AMC Networks: AMC, IFC, BCC America
        • Disney/ESPN: ESPN, ABC, Disney channels
        • NBCUniversal: NBC, CNBC, Bravo, Syfy
        • Scripps Networks Interactive: HGTV, Food Network
        • Turner: CNN, TNT, TBS
        • Viacom -- MTV, Comedy Central, Nickelodeon

CNET reporter Joan Solsman contributed to this story.

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