Google Dumps Chromecast As BBC iPlayer Chaos Continues

This week marks the official end of Google’s beloved Chromecast with Google TV, as the streaming device has been quietly removed from Google’s store.

The device has also disappeared from major UK retailers like Currys, Argos and Amazon, leaving the newer – and more expensive – Google TV Streamer as the only option for new buyers.

And while that might sound like a natural progression in the tech world, there’s a rather big catch: months after its release, Google’s premium streamer is still missing one of the UK’s most important streaming services, BBC iPlayer, leaving many potential buyers in the lurch.

It’s a bizarre situation, really – Google is pushing everyone towards their shiny new streamer just as one of its most important apps for UK viewers remains missing in action.

• March 2025 Update: BBC iPlayer finally lands on Google’s TV Streamer.

 

And while the older Chromecast wasn’t perfect, at least you could watch BBC shows without having to jump through hoops.

From Chromecast to Google TV Streamer

For those who haven’t been keeping track, Google launched its new Google TV Streamer back in September 2024, positioning it as a premium successor to the Chromecast line.

Priced at £99 (compared to the Chromecast’s £59), the new device brought several improvements to the table (you can order it here).

The Streamer features a faster processor, 4GB of RAM (double that of the Chromecast), and 32GB of storage.

It supports 4K HDR with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and even includes AI-powered features (of course) through Google’s Gemini technology.

Unlike the compact Chromecast dongle that hung behind your TV, the Streamer is a proper set-top box designed to sit in front of your television.

It comes with an improved remote control that includes a customisable button and can be located using voice commands if you misplace it.

Right from its launch, the new Streamer was meant to replace the Chromecast – but the previous generation’s device was available in some stores for a while longer. 

Now, however, the older Chromecasts are no longer officially available to purchase, unless you find some older stock, or get them from second-hand stores like eBay.

The BBC iPlayer Conundrum

The absence of BBC iPlayer on such a premium device is particularly baffling. The streaming service is a cornerstone of British television, and its absence significantly impacts the device’s usefulness for UK viewers.

After months of silence, the BBC has recently addressed the situation, stating that “The BBC iPlayer app will be available to install on the 2024 Google TV Streamer in the near future.

“There is a technical issue which we are working on with Google.”

What makes this situation even more frustrating is that the BBC’s certification process for streaming devices isn’t usually this lengthy. While we’ve seen delays before with other devices (such as the Manhattan T4-R Freeview recorder), they typically get resolved within a few weeks of launch.

The Google TV Streamer still doesn’t appear on the BBC’s “iPlayer Certified Devices” list, and the vague statement about a “technical issue” doesn’t inspire confidence about a quick resolution, especially since this has been going on for months now.

There is some good news, though: Channel 4’s streaming app, which was also notably absent at launch, was finally added to the platform in late October 2024.

This at least addresses another major gap in UK catch-up services on the Google TV Streamer.

Current Workarounds

If you’ve already invested in the Google TV Streamer, you’re not completely out of luck when it comes to BBC content.

You can still use the casting feature to send shows from the iPlayer app on your phone or tablet to the Streamer. It’s not as convenient as having a native app (which is the whole point of the TV Streamer), but it works.

Tech-savvy users might be tempted to try sideloading the iPlayer app, but we’d recommend against this for casual users – it’s not officially supported and could lead to stability issues.

What Should You Do?

If you’re in the market for a new streaming device and BBC iPlayer is important to you (as it should be), you might want to hold off on purchasing the Google TV Streamer until this issue is resolved.

There are plenty of alternatives available, including the Fire TV 4K Max and Roku Streaming Stick 4K, both of which have full iPlayer support.

For those who already own a working Chromecast with Google TV, you might want to hold onto it for now. While it might be showing its age in terms of performance, at least it has all the major UK streaming apps you need.

We’ll keep monitoring this situation and update when BBC iPlayer finally makes its way to the Google TV Streamer. Here’s hoping it won’t take another five months.

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