Roku to lose YouTube app as of December 9, 2021, Roku will no longer offer the YouTube app on its platform. This change is due to a licensing dispute between Google and Roku. The two companies are unable to come to an agreement on terms for content distribution. Some consumers may be wondering what this means for them, as they depend on their Roku devices daily for entertainment purposes.
Luckily, there are other apps available that provide similar services such as Hulu or Netflix which allow users access to hundreds of thousands of hours worth of programming without any interruption in service whatsoever. If you’re not sure how these changes will affect your viewing habits, take some time today and explore new options! You might find something that suits your needs better than before!
Anyone who purchases a Roku streaming device after December 9 will be able to spot a difference, that’ll be that the YouTube app is missing. This is due to Roku and Google having some significant disagreements that will lead to the YouTube app being out of Roku’s platform.
The scuffle between Google and Roku has been going for some time, as YouTube TV already was removed from Roku. It looks like the everyday YouTube app, which is extremely popular, will be removed from the platform too, as per Axios. This would be a rather unfortunate blow for Roku customers in the upcoming future.
Nevertheless, the YouTube app will be available for existing users until December 9, 2021, the company will continue to update the app for existing users. Even if the two companies aren’t able to reach a fruitful conclusion, users who already have Roku devices can keep enjoying the app.
Roku to lose YouTube, but Google started the negotiations, the company said:
Since negotiations earlier this year, we continued to work with them to reach a solution that benefits our mutual customers. Roku has chosen to make unproductive as well as baseless claims rather than try to work constructively. As we haven’t been able to carry our conversations in good faith, our partnership for all the new Roku devices will, unfortunately, reach an end on December 9, 2021. However, we are allowing Roku to continue the distribution of YouTube as well as the YouTube TV apps to all the existing users.
Roku put out a blog post as well, regarding the situation, the companies have entirely different perspectives on what’s unfolding:
As last shared in April, the threat remains that Google might remove YouTube TV. We believe that streamers will benefit if Google, as well as Roku, reach a fair agreement, and we are committed to trying to achieve the goal. It’s about keeping Roku independent, safeguarding consumers, and ensuring a healthy streaming industry that benefits them.
Whenever these types of disputes between companies arise, the customers are the ones who are ultimately at the losing end. This decision leaves a lot of disappointed Roku buyers who can’t get one of the biggest video platforms on the internet on their new devices.
However, there’s always a chance that the two companies could meet in the middle between now and the deadline, and all we can do is wait and see. If you liked this article (or if it helped at all), leave a comment below or share it with friends, so they can also know if Roku Will Lose the YouTube App on December 9, 2021.
