HBO Now App Removed From 2nd and 3rd Generation Apple TV Models

As expected, HBO removed support for its HBO Now app on second and third-generation Apple TV models over the weekend.

apple tv 2nd gen remote setup wrap steps wrap
Early last month, the company announced that it would be removing support for older ‌Apple TV‌ devices at the end of April, a decision it said was made "in order to provide the best streaming experience."

Following pushback from users, a couple of days later HBO said that it would be extending the deadline to May 15, with HBO GO to remain available for "a few additional months."

The company hoped that the extended deadline would provide people with enough time to upgrade their ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ models and otherwise prepare for the day they are removed.

Affected users are advised to try alternate ways to access content, including streaming HBO GO using another streaming device like Roku and Amazon Fire TV, using AirPlay to stream HBO GO to ‌Apple TV‌, using an HDMI cable to connect a phone, tablet, or computer to a TV, and using Chromecast to cast HBO GO from a phone, tablet, or computer to a TV.

HBO GO and HBO NOW remain functional on the newest ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ HD and ‌‌Apple TV‌‌ 4K platforms. Numerous shows and movies can also be streamed for free on HBO GO and HBO NOW, including Silicon Valley, Succession, The Wire, and more.

Related Roundup: Apple TV
Tags: HBO, HBO NOW
Buyer's Guide: Apple TV (Don't Buy)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...
iPhone Pocket Short

iPhone Pocket Now Available to Order, But Already Selling Out

Friday November 14, 2025 6:20 am PST by
Apple recently teamed up with Japanese fashion brand ISSEY MIYAKE to create the iPhone Pocket, a limited-edition knitted accessory designed to carry an iPhone. iPhone Pocket is available to order on Apple's online store starting today, in the United States, France, China, Italy, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. However, it is already completely sold out in the United...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
walmart new ornametns

Walmart Black Friday Deals Begin Today With Low Prices on Headphones, TVs, and More

Friday November 14, 2025 7:55 am PST by
Walmart's Black Friday sale has officially kicked off today, with an online shopping event that's also seeing some matching deals in retail locations. There are quite a few major discounts in this sale, including savings on headphones, TVs, and more. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Walmart. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...

Top Rated Comments

cualexander Avatar
72 months ago
There could be a valid reason HBO is removing old versions of the app, like maybe they want to start using a different codec now, one that older devices couldn’t handle well due to CPU constraints. Or that the older devices provided a poor experience.

I doubt there’s any conspiracy here. Most of the time when companies make old programs reach end of life, it’s because the cost of supporting the old program is too high. Trying to fix old bugs in old programs is not a very efficient use of company time.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Techwatcher Avatar
72 months ago
It’s a video streaming app. There’s no way any version of an Apple TV can’t handle it. This was taken off for no reason.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xyz01 Avatar
72 months ago
One problem is that "everyone" expects Apple to release a new AppleTV shortly, so this is not at good time to buy a new one.

The current gen AppleTV is listed as "don't buy" on this site for exactly this reason.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Porco Avatar
72 months ago
HBO Gone
HBO Not Now

All seems a bit weird to me. It would be nice if they provided a more technical explanation... if there is one, which there may be. Possibly.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TiggrToo Avatar
72 months ago

it was taken out because HBO and apple have a licensing agreement and the fact apple wants people to buy newer apple tvs. HBO is not just removing its app from older apple tvs they have also been removing the app from many older "smart" TVs too. They don't want to support older platforms.
The 2nd gen used an A4, 3rd A5. Both 32 bit only. I suspect the lack of 64 bit processors had a huge part to do with this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
allenvanhellen Avatar
72 months ago

it was taken out because HBO and apple have a licensing agreement and the fact apple wants people to buy newer apple tvs. HBO is not just removing its app from older apple tvs they have also been removing the app from many older "smart" TVs too. They don't want to support older platforms.
Which is no GOOD reason as far as subscribers are concerned.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)