- Roku has removed YouTube TV from its channel store after negotiations with Google broke down.
- YouTube TV will, however, remain available for current subscribers on Roku devices.
- Roku remains “committed” to finding a solution with Google.
Negotiations between Roku and Google over their YouTube TV distribution agreement have seemingly come to an end, and it’s not great news for Roku users. The two parties failed to agree to new terms which would allow Roku to offer YouTube TV on its platform. As a result, the YouTube TV app will no longer be available to download from the Roku channel store.
Per an earlier report, Google’s set of demands allegedly included a dedicated search channel within the Roku interface. It also reportedly wanted Roku to give preference to YouTube Music when using voice commands, among other requests.
Roku wanted Google to commit to four key points, according to an emailed statement. These were namely:
- Not to manipulate consumer search results.
- Not to require access to data not available to anyone else.
- Not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs.
- Not to act in a discriminatory and anticompetitive manner against Roku.
As the companies could not reach a consensus, the contract has expired. Therefore, new users purchasing a Roku device will no longer have access to the service.
What about existing YouTube TV users on Roku?
Roku is trying to soften the blow for existing customers, though. It notes that the issue won’t affect users who already own a Roku device and have an active YouTube TV subscription.
“To continue to provide our users with a great streaming experience, we are taking the extra step to continue to offer existing subscribers access to YouTube TV on the Roku platform unless Google takes actions that require the full removal of the channel,” said Roku in the statement.
Roku has subsequently notified YouTube TV users in an email on Friday, alerting them of the changes.
There’s still some hope, though. Roku noted it’s “committed to reaching a good-faith agreement with Google.” But unless the two parties can resolve their impasse soon, it’s likely YouTube TV won’t be part of Roku’s future for much longer.
