Technology

There’s never been a worse time to own a Roku streaming stick

If you’ve recently bought yourself one of the best Roku streaming sticks – as many of you may have, during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales – then you should download the YouTube app from the Roku Channel Store, if you haven’t done so already.

Why? The YouTube app is being completely removed from the Roku Channel Store on December 9, as reported by Tom’s Guide. This follows the removal of the YouTube TV app back in April, 2021, amidst claims from Roku that YouTube parent company Google was engaging in anticompetitive practices.

This time, Google is taking down its own app, stating that YouTube will be pulled entirely unless they “reach agreement on renewal terms prior to the expiration of [the] current agreement” – on December 9. But unless these companies kiss and make up very quickly, you should prepare for the worst.

So even if you don’t watch much content on YouTube, the app is still worth downloading to your Roku device in the (quite likely) case that it never returns to the Roku Channel Store.

By Rhys Woo

Show More
Back to top button