Google has announced that Youtube TV will now be available in the main Youtube app, starting on the Roku app and will expand coverage of the feature to more platforms soon.
The move comes a week after Roku took down Youtube TV from its channel store after its distribution agreement with Google fell through. Google said last week that “despite their best efforts” Roku ended the deal “in bad faith” and that “Roku has often engaged in this tactic with other streaming providers”.
Google has updated the Youtube app with a ‘Go to Youtube TV’ tab, which will be available to users on the Roku app over the next few days and allow them to access Youtube TV.
The two companies have discussions to renew the distribution deal so that Youtube TV can be accessed directly on Roku.
“We are also in ongoing, long-term conversations with Roku to certify that new devices meet our technical requirements. This certification process exists to ensure a consistent and high-quality YouTube experience across different devices, including Google’s own–so you know how to navigate the app and what to expect,” Google announced.
Google has also entered discussions with other prospective partners to “secure free streaming devices” if the current discussions with Roku don’t yield a favourable result and Youtube TV subscribers start facing streaming issues on Roku.
The distribution agreement for Youtube’s main app will also expire in December, and in case Roku and Google don’t agree to a new deal, Youtube and Youtube TV won’t be available on Roku from 2022.
“We’ll continue our conversations with Roku on certification, in good faith, with the goal of advocating for our mutual customers.”
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