You don’t have to worry about losing YouTube on Roku devices
Over the last few months, Roku and Google have been duking it out as the two companies failed to reach an agreement when it comes to the YouTube app and YouTube TV. This is one of the most popular apps in the world, but Roku was ready to leave its users in the dust for one reason or another.
At one point, the battle got pretty ugly, so much so to the point that YouTube TV was pulled from the Roku App Store. Google responded by providing its users with the ability to still access to the streaming service from the standard YouTube app. Thankfully, it seems that calmer heads have prevailed, as Roku confirmed that the two companies have “agreed to a multi-year extension.”
Effective today, we have agreed to a multi-year extension with Google for YouTube and YouTube TV. This agreement represents a positive development for our shared customers, making both YouTube and YouTube TV available for all streamers on the Roku platform.
— Roku (@Roku) December 8, 2021
In a response to Digital Trends, spokesperson YouTube Mariana De Felice provided the following statement:
“We’re happy to share that we’ve reached a deal with Roku to continue distributing the YouTube and YouTube TV apps on Roku devices. This means that Roku customers will continue to have access to YouTube and that the YouTube TV app will once again be available in the Roku store for both new and existing members. We are pleased to have a partnership that benefits our mutual users.”
The original deal was slated to end tomorrow, with Roku apparently threatening to launch new devices without the YouTube app entirely. Luckily, a deal was completed and users no longer have to be concerned with losing access to YouTube or YouTube TV any longer. According to Roku, the apps should begin re-appearing for those who want to download them sometime throughout the day.