Comedy Central, MTV now blocking Google TV
Viacom channels, such as Comedy Central and MTV, are now blocking Google TV devices from streaming content.
(Credit:
Matthew Moskovciak/CNET)
The Google TV platform was already struggling after Hulu and every major TV network started blocking its devices from streaming video, and now things are getting worse.
Viacom properties, including Comedy Central, MTV, and Nickelodeon, are now also blocking Google TV, with users receiving a message that the content "is unavailable for your device." The loss of Viacom content is a major blow to Google TV, as shows like "The Daily Show" and "The Colbert Report" were some of the few high-quality TV shows that allowed streaming. The last we checked, "Conan" is still available, but there's no guarantee TBS won't begin blocking Google TV too.
We felt Google TV had a lot of potential when we reviewed the first wave of products, but it's going to be difficult for the platform to get any traction if major content providers continue to block Google TV devices.
