HBO is trying to get $250,000 in Bitcoin to pay hackers who stole scripts

The game theory is a bit interesting here.

You pay the 250k, they give you back everything, and this was all a big scare, a 5-10% budget overrun, and everyone goes home happy

Or, you pay the 250k, they don't give you back anything, andddddd..... I don't know, you lose the money and you look stupid to the outside world?

I guess the real lesson here is don't get hacked, because choices are pretty dismal beyond that point

250K is better than zero to us laymen. Hackers' dismissal of said amount shows they are big time.