Apple is in negotiations to start carrying Time Warner’s HBO Go application on Apple TV by mid-2013, according to sources familiar with the plans.

Cable and satellite subscribers who pay for HBO will be able to watch more than 600 hours of films and television shows on Apple TV, said the people, who asked not to be identified.

Apple TV is a set-top device that streams content purchased on iTunes and via other online services to consumers’ televisions.

Adding HBO to the lineup of Apple TV services, including Netflix and Hulu Plus, may help the iPhone maker bolster sales of a set-top box that has faced stiff competition from similar video-delivery devices such as Microsoft’s Xbox.

Apple TV would let Time Warner, which already offers HBO Go for Roku and Xbox, deliver another option to consumers who are increasingly shunning broadcasts for on-demand viewing and streaming video over the Internet.

HBO Go is only available to customers who subscribe to the network through their cable or satellite service, and would be the first app on Apple TV that requires pay-TV authentication.