Roku Yanks YouTube TV App as Dispute With Google Escalates

Roku and Google’s standoff has come to a tipping point. The connected TV platform removed the YouTube TV app from its channel store Friday morning when the carriage agreement between the two companies expired. The app is currently not available to new subscribers. However, existing subscribers will still have access to YouTube TV as the two companies work to come to an agreement. Earlier this week, Roku began warning its customers that the YouTube TV app could be removed, accusing Google of anticompetitive behavior and alleging the tech company is asking Roku to manipulate consumer search by forcing Roku to block non-YouTube results for users inside the YouTube TV app. The connected TV company emphasized that finances do not play a role in the current dispute. “We are disappointed that Google has allowed our agreement for the distribution of YouTube TV to expire. Roku has not asked for one dollar of additional financial consideration from Google to renew YouTube TV,” said a Roku spokesperson. Roku is asking Google for four commitments: “First, not to manipulate consumer search results. Second, not to require access to data not available to anyone else. Third, not to leverage their YouTube monopoly to force Roku to accept hardware requirements that would increase consumer costs. Fourth, not to act in a discriminatory and anticompetitive manner against Roku,” the statement reads. “It is well past time for Google to embrace the principles that have made streaming so popular for millions of users by giving consumers control of their streaming experience, by embracing fair competition and by ceasing anticompetitive practices.” Update: YouTube TV is vehemently denying Roku’s claims in a blog post late Friday morning, writing that Roku terminated the company’s deal “in bad faith” during their negotiations. The virtual MVPD is alleging that it offered Roku a deal renewal under the existing terms, but Roku “chose to use this as an opportunity to renegotiate a separate deal encompassing the YouTube main app.” That agreement expires in December. “We can’t give Roku special treatment at the expense of users. To be clear, we have never, as they have alleged, made any requests to access user data or interfere with search results. This claim is baseless and false,” said YouTube TV's statement. Earlier this week, YouTube TV called the complaint “baseless” and said it “made no requests to access user data or interfere with search results.” In an email to customers Friday morning, Roku said it will continue to offer existing customers access to the app “unless Google takes actions that require the full removal of the channel.” It also warned existing customers not to delete the YouTube TV app, as it will not be available for download on Roku devices. This isn’t the first time Roku has had a public-facing carriage spat. WarnerMedia and Roku struck a distribution deal for HBO Max in October after months of negotiations. In September, it reached a deal for Peacock after Comcast threatened to remove access to dozens of NBCUniversal apps. In January 2020, Roku and Fox resolved their distribution standoff and reached a new agreement just in time for Super Bowl 54, which aired on Fox.