Google TV on televisions and Android app can no longer buy TV shows

Google announced yesterday that no-one will no longer be able to purchase TV episodes and seasons from Google TV on Google TV devices, Android TV devices, and the Google TV Mobile app. This removal is rolling out “over the next few weeks.

Movies are not mentioned, so the ability to purchase films with Google TV should remain.

The intended replacement is purchasing TV shows from YouTube depending on country availability, which last revamped the browsing experience in early 2022. This is a notable expansion of what the YouTube app is for on Android/Google TV.

There will be no changes to accessing previously purchased movies and TV shows (including active rentals and entire TV seasons, regardless of where the purchase was made).

 They will remain available in “Google TV devices, Android TV devices, the Google TV mobile app for Android and the iOS app, and YouTube.

However, there is a notable shift today that means your Google TV and YouTube purchase libraries will no longer remain synced. Again, there are no announced changes to movies.

Again, the company is clearly committed to the Google TV brand if it’s willing to replace the Chromecast as its flagship streaming device, but not being able to buy shows adds unnecessary asterisks to the end user watching experience.

This change impacting the Google TV Android app with the iOS client never supporting purchases is also unexpected.