HBO Max lands on LG TVs more than a year after launch

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The popular streaming service has been a noticeable gap in LG's app selection for months

HBO Max
(Image credit: WarnerMedia)

LG makes some of the best TVs you can buy, but webOS smart TVs have finally fixed a pretty conspicuous flaw — more than a year after the launch of HBO Max, you can finally get the streaming service on your LG webOS smart TV.

HBO Max launched in May of 2020. After a year of lockdown-induced same-day streaming releases of first-run blockbuster movies, HBO Max has proven one of the major players in the rapidly shifting landscape of paid streaming services. It's WarnerMedia's beachhead in the streaming wars, and for many, it's a must-have app on their smart TVs. (Check out HBO Max vs Netflix: Which streaming service is best for you? to learn more.) 

The best LG TVs have a lot going for them, such as gorgeous OLED displays for both movies and gaming. But one issue that's caught many LG OLED owners off guard is the fact that the LG Content store (the app store for LG smart TVs) doesn't have the huge selection of apps and services you'd find on something running Android TV or another platform. When you shell out upwards of $2,000 for a smart TV, that can be a little irritating. (Other notable omissions have included BBC News, Philo and the still-missing Discovery Plus.)

Including apps on different software platforms can sometimes be tricky for TV manufacturers and app makers. In addition to software issues — apps have to be programmed to run on whatever underlying software the smart TV uses, just like PCs and Macs. And there are often licensing fees that need to be negotiated. But it seems that LG and Warner have finally gotten something worked out.

LG owners can now find the HBO Max app in the LG Content Store. Check out our guide How to install (and remove) LG smart TV apps for step-by-step instructions, or check out our guide on How to use your LG TV for more help with settings and features.

Prior to this, users could still access HBO Max on their LG TV by streaming HBO Max on a different device, like a game console or streaming stick, or cast it to the TV from a smartphone or tablet using built-in Chromecast and Apple AirPlay 2.

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Brian Westover
Brian Westover

Brian Westover is currently Lead Analyst, PCs and Hardware at PCMag. Until recently, however, he was Senior Editor at Tom's Guide, where he led the site's TV coverage for several years, reviewing scores of sets and writing about everything from 8K to HDR to HDMI 2.1. He also put his computing knowledge to good use by reviewing many PCs and Mac devices, and also led our router and home networking coverage. Prior to joining Tom's Guide, he wrote for TopTenReviews and PCMag.