YouTube TV has halted acceptance of signups for the service through Apple devices. Prior to this action, iPhone and iPad customers could sign up for the TV streaming service within the app without requiring to go through YouTube.
However, YouTube faced problems splitting money between Apple and itself. Apple charges a percentage fee of all in-app purchases and Google finally decided to pull the plug on it. From now onwards, users will be required to pay YouTube directly to access its TV streaming service.
Google has begun sending emails to its customers about the new changes to the payment methods for its YouTube TV service. However, the service will work until March before being completely phased out.
The email sent by Google to YouTube TV subscribers through Apple’s in-app purchase system reads, “You’ll be billed for one final month of service and then your in-app purchase subscription will be canceled automatically on your billing date after March 13th, 2020.”
From here onwards, users will be required to subscribe to YouTube TV from the web browser. Of course, some users will find this to be inconvenient as compared to the previous process which was simpler. Google appears to be taking the risk to improve its revenue and profit margins.
Similarly, Spotify the popular music streaming service has also stopped offering subscription to its service in-app. Also, TV streaming services like Sling TV and Hulu do not offer in-app purchases but rather require users to subscribe using their own payment portal. However, existing customers of Spotify subscribed using Apple’s in-app purchase system can continue (new subscribers do not have the option to do so).
Apple charges 30 percent from every single in-app payment as a fee for the first year (to the developer). After which, the developer will be charged 15 percent.
