Earlier this week Roku warned its customers that the Youtube TV will be removed from its channel store. And this Friday morning Roku informed officially, that the Youtube app has been removed, as the agreement between Google and Roku has expired. Unfortunately, both the companies haven’t been able to continue the deal, so Roku removed the Youtube TV app from its channel store.
Right now this Youtube app is not available for new subscribers. However, Roku informed that the existing subscribers will continue to have access to the YouTube TV app on its platform. Until Google insists on removing the YouTube TV app completely. In addition to this, there won’t be any new subscriptions to the YouTube TV app.
In addition to this, Roku informed its customers that users who are having access should not delete the YouTube TV app. Because if they delete they won’t be able to download it for Roku devices. However, the regular YouTube app is unaffected by this agreement termination and will be available on Roku devices as usual.
Both Roku and Google have their own perspectives about why this agreement has been canceled. Let’s go through both the company’s viewpoints and see why Google decided to end YouTube TV app support for Roku devices.
Here are the details of Why Roku removed the Youtube TV app
Earlier Roku informed that the YouTube TV app will disappear from Roku devices in the coming days. In a statement issued Monday Roku accused Google of attempting to control its user experience. In a way that favors its own products as the two companies renegotiate the contract.
Based on Roku’s statement, Google is attempting to use its YouTube monopoly position to force Roku into accepting anti-competitive and discriminatory terms that will harm Roku and its users. And it further stated that Google asked for broader access to Roku customer data than its competitors. Roku claims that Google is pushing Roku to adopt new hardware requirements. Overall Google is planning to get unfair terms that would negatively affect streaming competitors and benefit the YouTube suite of apps.
Along with that, Google demands Roku’s access to host the YouTube TV app on providing preferential treatment for Google’s other apps. It includes letting Google have special access to consumer data and for Roku to build a dedicated search result row for YouTube in the platform’s interface. Also, Google Chromecast device that directly competes with Roku.
In a recent statement, Roku stated that we only asked for four simple commitments from Google. First not to manipulate consumer search results, second, restrict access to data that is not available to anyone else. Rest are not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to overpower Roku to accept hardware requirements. Which will inevitably raise consumer costs. And lastly, not to act in a biased and anticompetitive way toward Roku. On the contrary, Addressing these claims Google is responded to in its blog.
Google post address why Roku removed YouTube App
Google informed in its YouTube official Blog that, Google’s initial conversations begin with Roku simply to renew current terms of their ongoing agreement with YouTube TV. It offered Roku to renew the YouTube TV agreement under the existing reasonable terms. And Google stated that Roku used this as an opportunity to renegotiate a separate deal containing the YouTube main app, that does not expire until December.
In addition to this, Google stated that its agreements with partners have technical requirements to ensure a high-quality visual experience for YouTube users. But Roku demanded exceptions that are not in line with Youtube intentions to provide a high-quality experience. And it may limit YouTube in order to fix issues or add new features. As Google warned that by not supporting open-source video codecs, you wouldn’t be able to watch YouTube inK HDR or 8K even if you get a Roku device that supports this resolution.
However, Google stated that it can’t offer Roku special treatment at the expense of users. Also, Google declined Roku accusations that Google made requests to access user data or interface with search results. Google stated these claims as baseless and false.
Other details
The dispute between Google and Roku continues. Both have their own viewpoint and do not agree with other claims. Such disputes are very common among cable provides and content providers. However, both the companies are participating in this dispute in a respectable manner and choosing their words carefully. So it is difficult to say what reasons caused Roku to remove the YouTube TV app.
Roku may be a smaller company than Google, but it has nearly 45 percent of set-top box viewing time and has significant leverage over apps as a result. Even though Roku claims that it is not demanding any additional money from the YouTube TV partnership. Roku making it clear it’s the only goal is withdrawing terms that favor Chromecast hardware. As it is a significant competitor for Roku devices.
Conclusion
On Friday Roku removed the YouTube TV app from its channel store. Because the agreement between Google and Roku has expired. However, users who already have the subscription will continue to access the YouTube TV on the Roku platform until Google takes action for removing it completely. Roku also warns users not to delete YouTube TV App because you won’t download it from its channel store anymore. As of now, there are also no new subscriptions for this YouTube TV app.
