Skip to Content
Newsletter Facebook Twitter YouTube
Roku Spectrum TV Essentials

Users Struggle As Spectrum-Roku Standoff Hits 8-Month Point With No End In Sight

Jeff Kotuby
Jeff Kotuby is a contributing writer to The Streamable who specializes in sports, music, and all things Japanese media. He cut the cord in 2017 and has spent the last six years of his career writing for technology, entertainment, and healthcare websites. He's a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles and Anaheim Ducks fan, but also enjoys watching animated shows from the '90s.
Read full bio ›
Jeff Kotuby

As the Spectrum-Roku standoff reaches its 8-month mark, users are now struggling with tech issues that will be difficult to solve without intervention from one of the two parties.

According to various user and outlet reports, Roku’s Spectrum app has been giving error messages saying, “Spectrum TV is only available in the U.S. and its territories, ref code RLC-1002.”

When attempting to fix the issue with the tried-and-true method of deleting and reinstalling it, users quickly discovered that they could not reinstall the app, as Roku removed the app from its online marketplace following its kerfuffle with Spectrum, despite Roku telling its existing Spectrum customers they'd be fine back in December 2020.

The two companies have been at odds since December over carriage rights issues that seem to have no end in sight.

“Despite our best efforts to reach an agreement, Roku has not accepted Spectrum’s offer to continue our contract, which allowed customers to access the Spectrum TV app from Roku devices,” Spectrum said in a statement. “This change may prevent new downloads of the Spectrum TV app to your Roku device, but you can still access your full video library by downloading the Spectrum TV app to your Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox, smartphone, or tablet.”

Roku is also at odds with YouTube TV, and that situation seems to be going much worse than the Spectrum tiff — especially with the war of words being conducted by Roku’s leadership. In May, Roku’s CFO Steven Louden accused Google of “orchestrated efforts to strong-arm them into making their devices more expensive and therefore less competitive when compared to Google’s own products.”

At least Roku is not aiming that sort of venom at Spectrum, which can be seen as a positive. Hopefully, we’ll see a peaceful resolution to both issues, but it doesn’t look like that’s coming anytime soon. In the meantime, as Spectrum mentioned in the above statement, you can download the Spectrum TV app on your Apple TV, Samsung Smart TV, Xbox devices, smartphones, or tablets.

Jeff Kotuby
Jeff Kotuby is a contributing writer to The Streamable who specializes in sports, music, and all things Japanese media. He cut the cord in 2017 and has spent the last six years of his career writing for technology, entertainment, and healthcare websites. He's a lifelong Philadelphia Eagles and Anaheim Ducks fan, but also enjoys watching animated shows from the '90s.
Read full bio ›
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Reddit

DIRECTV STREAM Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $50 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for DIRECTV STREAM.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new DIRECTV STREAM subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • Purchase must be completed on the DIRECTV STREAM website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Sling TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $25 Uber Eats Gift Card when you sign up for Sling TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Sling TV subscribers to Sling Orange, Blue, or Sling Orange + Blue.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Sling TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.

Hulu Live TV Cash Back

Let us know your e-mail address to send your $35 Amazon Gift Card when you sign up for Hulu Live TV.

You will receive it ~2 weeks after you complete your first month of service.

Offer Terms

  • Only valid for new Hulu Live TV subscribers.
  • Only valid once per household.
  • You must pay and maintain service for at least one month to be eligible.
  • You must click from The Streamable and complete your purchase on the Hulu Live TV website.
  • You’ll receive gift card 4-6 weeks after purchase (~2 weeks after your first month).
  • Cannot be combined with any other promotion and won’t be eligible if you try to use a coupon code or cash back from another site.