In 2023, we got our usual round of streaming price hikes, carriage fights, and the occasional service consolidation. But over a three-week span in May, we encountered one of the weirdest events in streaming history.
Out of nowhere, little-watched streamer Herogo sent an email to its users, announcing that it had jumped into the live TV streaming fight, with tiers running from $8.99 to $129.99/month. In all, the service claimed to host 300+ well-known cable channels including CNN, FX, NFL Network, NFL RedZone, TBS, and TNT.
Right from the start, the problems were overwhelming. Advertised channels were missing. The user interface kept getting “stuck” as users browsed channels. The channel guide misidentified programs. Subscribers could not customize their username or password.
Four days into the launch, Herogo corrected its website to remove references to unavailable channels, but we discovered a much bigger problem. There was no way to cancel the service.
When The Streamable reached out to companies like Disney, who had channels on the service, their spokespeople had no idea what Herogo was or how it gained access to their live streams. Was the whole service based on an IPTV feed or something?
Just 19 days after the live TV service launched, it disappeared without warning. Subscribers received no notification — the channels just disappeared.
There was one loophole: as long as you never exited the app on a device, you could still watch the channels. We confirmed that workaround was still functional for weeks after the official shutdown.
The Streamable repeatedly tried to contact the company, but no one responded. We dug around and discovered the company’s CEO graduated high school in 2017.
Eventually, Herogo did email its users apologizing for the whole fiasco and promising refunds.
Today, Herogo still exists as a barely viable streamer with 22 channels and movies no one has ever heard of, like “What a Difference a Dad Makes,” “Xanadu Hellfire,” and “Soul Virginity.”
Was it all just a marketing stunt gone wrong? Did Herogo get caught doing something shady? It seems we’ll never know. What a weird 19 days.
Herogo TV
HeroGo TV is a free streaming service offering 12 channels and 1000+ hours of on demand video.