I’d argue that the average user has no idea this functionality even exists. To access purchased movies on the TV app, for instance, you have to go to the Library section, then “Your movies and shows.” It’s quite literally on the lowest portion of the app, and it’s not easy to find either. YouTube’s implementation of purchased movies and TV shows is something that has always felt shoehorned into the app, and never something meant to be the central focus. That works, but YouTube’s movie experience is pretty clunky by comparison, and that’s the nice way of saying it. Anyone who uses a Roku or other smart TV and who has invested in a library on Google Play Movies & TV is left without an official way to access that library beyond using the YouTube app.

This presents a bit of a problem for users. There were apps for Play Movies on smart TVs too, but those were shut down last Summer on Roku, Vizio, and LG TVs. Nearly two years later, there’s still no Google TV app for iOS, and Google TV has only replaced Play Movies on Android in a select number of countries, with little expansion. Google TV is not a cross-platform product, and Google has shown virtually no interest in that path. The death of Play Movies means using YouTube instead This week, Google announced that it would shutter the Play Movies & TV brand and functionality in the Play Store on Android, shifting library management and purchases to the Google TV app as well as the Google TV platform on devices such as the Chromecast and TVs from Sony and TCL. Play Movies & TV was available across almost every platform, from Roku to Apple TV to Android and iOS, along with Google’s own Android TV platform and Chromecast. The product acted as a marketplace and library for digital movies and TV shows, much like iTunes, Vudu, and Amazon Video.

Google Play Movies & TV has been around for over a decade, since 2011. It’s the right call, but with a headache attached for many customers.

This week, Google announced another step towards the end of Play Movies & TV as it continues to push towards Google TV instead.

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