HBO gives older Apple TV boxes a reprieve with streaming continuing for now

Remote (Image credit: Rene Ritchie/iMore)

What you need to know

HBO said this week that it was pulling streaming services from older Apple TVs.
It's had a change of heart.
There's a reprieve, but not a long one.

After saying earlier this week that it was dropping support for older Apple TVs, HBO has now had a change of heart. You'll now get a little longer to upgrade to something more recent.

HBO originally said that 2nd and 3rd generation Apple TVs would lose access to HBO Go and HBO Now as of April 30th, but according to a report by Engadget, that's no longer the case. Although those hoping for a long reprieve are going to be disappointed.

An HBO spokesperson told Engadget that HBO Now will remain on 2nd and 3rd gen Apple TVs until May 15th and that HBO Go will be available for "a few additional months." The spokesperson said that HBO made the decision to extend support "to provide impacted users more time to make any necessary updates."

So anyone with an old Apple TV doesn't have long to pick up something a little newer. Assuming HBO is still something people watch "Game of Thrones" has finished!

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.