Roku Owners Get to keep YouTube in agreement with Google

Roku Owners Get to keep YouTube in agreement with Google

Roku and Google have kissed and made up, ending a streaming impasse that had been going on since April.

The two parties agreed today (December 8) to a long-term deal that will bring the YouTube TV app back to Roku's channel store, but keep the main YouTube app. The latter was to disappear from the channel store tomorrow, December 9, and Roku users were advised to download the app ASAP if they did not already have it. Fortunately for users, the feud is over.

"This agreement represents a positive development for our shared customers as both YouTube and YouTube TV will be available on all streamers on the Roku platform," Roku said in a statement.

"We are pleased to share that we have reached an agreement with Roku to continue delivering YouTube and YouTube TV apps on Roku devices," Google said in its own statement. This means that Roku customers will continue to have access to YouTube, and the YouTube TV app will once again be available in the Roku store for both new and existing members." We are pleased to have formed a partnership that will benefit users of both companies."

Terms of the deal were not disclosed; Roku previously stated that it does not receive revenue from the YouTube app.

The conflict pitted the two streaming giants against each other. Google, of course, is Google, and its YouTube is everywhere; YouTube TV is a top-rated live TV service and a cable TV alternative with over 3 million users; Roku is the leader in streaming platforms and Roku is the leader in streaming platforms and boasts more than 50 million active accounts by the end of 2020, running on one-third of all smart TVs in North America.

In April, Roku ended its distribution agreement with YouTube TV without renewal. In a blog post, Roku accused Google of making anti-competitive demands, demanding that YouTube TV and the YouTube app be placed prominently within Roku's system. Specifically, Google demanded search, voice, and data capabilities from YouTube that it did not demand from its other TV partners.

Google denied the allegations, but CBNC reported that it had seen Google's emails with such demands CBNC reported that it had seen Google's emails with such demands, but the dispute attracted the attention of legislators, some of whom were concerned that market Some were increasingly concerned about possible anti-competitive behavior by the leader.

In October, Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar said, "Roc's claim that Google is demanding that YouTube content be prioritized over that of other providers in Roc's search results is a clear indication that the dominant digital platform is not willing to be the gatekeeper of . highlights why we need new laws to prevent dominant digital platforms from abusing their power."

At least for now, YouTube TV and YouTube have been accessible on Roku devices for some time.

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