Eli5 how does the tv app work?

[Ghost31]

sometimes if I watch a show in the nbc app and go to the tv app, the show appears there. Which is cool as hell. But if I’m in other apps, it doesn’t always do this. Any reason behind that?

And also on it showing new episodes for me automatically, I don’t really understand how that works. It used to show me new episodes of hbo’s john oliver, now it doesn’t pop up anymore. Why not?

 

[melapple]

Same thing happeing on my Apple TV. Hope someone can answer

 

[mallbritton]

Not all apps support the TV app, so their content won't show up in Up Next.

I've also been seeing that behavior from HBO Go. I don't know what's causing it.

 

[Tarheels23]

I'm new to Apple TV, and I really don't get the need for the TV app. The Apple TV 4k gets in and out of apps so fast it's nowhere near a burden to have to leave one and enter into another. I guess the Live Sports/news aspect seems interesting, but other than that I don't get it.