Apple TV HBO Streaming Service Rumored for April

HBO is expected to launch its own streaming service and it will reportedly work on the Apple TV.

According to International Business Times, the streaming service will be called HBO Now and could launch in April ahead of the Game of Thrones premiere. HBO Now would be slightly different than the current HBO Go service, which is only meant for cable subscribers. HBO Now would be a streaming service that anyone could sign up for, and the rumored price for access is $15 per month.

It’s said that Apple is working hard to make itself one of the launch partners for HBO Now, which means that we’d most likely see a standalone Apple TV app get released alongside the launch of the new streaming service. This isn’t a surprise, as Apple has added a ton of new channels and apps to the Apple TV over the last year or so.

It’s unknown as to what HBO Now would offer to subscribers, but it could be very similar to HBO Go, which consists of all of HBO’s original content, although the $15/month fee is pretty steep when you’re only talking about TV shows and movies that are only available on HBO. Considering that Netflix is under $10 per month, an extra $5 added on to that could be a hard pill to swallow for viewers who are thinking about subscribing.

Of course, Apple TV owners are really just wanting a newer model from Apple. The company’s set-top streaming box hasn’t seen a refresh since 2012, and while it’s still a capable device and constantly gets updated, Apple TV users would love to see a newer model with more features.

However, a newer Apple TV has been rumored for a while now, and the latest ramblings suggest that Apple is working on its own streaming service for the next-generation Apple TV.

Essentially, this would be something similar to the new Sling TV that was unveiled at CES earlier last month. It would provide a small bundle of television programming and charge customers a monthly fee in order to use it. Most likely, the rumored service would be available on Apple TV, and it’s even possible that the new service could debut alongside the launch of an Apple TV 4.

It’s said that he development of the streaming service is far enough along that Apple has been showing it off to television networks in order to work up deals, but all that is still in the early stages right now.

The Apple TV has gone well over two years without a refresh, possibly hinting that Apple is close to giving up on the streaming set-top box, but Apple CEO Tim Cook has said in the past that television is a big interest for Apple, so perhaps the company is taking the time to dabble with new technologies.

With so many new streaming boxes released over the last couple of years since the launch of the third-generation Apple TV, many users question if the Apple TV is still as useful when it first released back in 2012. Since that time, we’ve been introduced to a ton of new streaming options, including newer Roku hardware, the Chromecast, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, the new Nexus Player, and more.

Many of the features of the Apple TV can easily be found on other streaming boxes, especially if you just need access to Netflix, Hulu Plus, or most other streaming apps, as pretty much all streaming boxes come with the major streaming services included.

However, the Apple TV still has its many unique features that users find extremely useful, and only the Apple TV can provide them.