Some YouTube TV and Sling TV subscribers trying to access the app on a Roku device may find they encounter a “can’t run channel” or “could not be re-installed from the network” error message. As these are competing services and subscribers are unlikely to be subscribed to both, some may assume the issue to be with either YouTube TV or Sling TV. However, the problem appears to be on Roku’s end. This also means other apps (or channels in Roku speak) may also be affected.
Sling TV and YouTube TV are two of the most popular services in the US, with each one delivering live TV channels over the internet to millions of users. Roku is also a hugely popular hardware company with its various Roku players in use in many homes. These levels of popularity can mean that software problems impact on a significant number of users when they arise.
Roku currently seems to be suffering from an issue where channels (apps) simply fail to launch. A number of users are reporting on social media and elsewhere the problem, with some suggesting the issue might only affect certain apps while other Roku channels work just fine. Both YouTube TV and Sling TV are understood to be two of the Roku channels that might be affected.
Roku is aware of the problem and is currently working on a fix. Due to this, there is not much the Sling TV or YouTube TV subscriber can do in the meantime. In a help post on the issue, Roku explains the problem actually first surfaced late last night. In a series of updates to the help post, Roku suggests making sure the software on the device is up to date, while confirming the issue is still considered as unresolved.
Attempting to uninstall the app and add it again doesn’t appear to work so users should refrain from doing this. For YouTube TV subscribers specifically, it is all the more important to not uninstall the channel from a Roku player as the user may end up losing access to the app altogether, due to the ongoing dispute between Roku and YouTube TV. Other than updating the Roku operating system to the latest version, affected users are simply advised to wait until the problem has been resolved.
Update: 09/16: Roku has resolved the issue and a fix is now available. To apply the fix, the user will need to update the software on their device to the latest version. The option to update the software can be found under the System section of the Settings.
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